Finders, Keepers
by bactaqueen
Summary: A year after the end of the war with the Yuuzhan Vong, Jaina Solo resigns from her duties as military officer and Jedi, teams up with an old friend, gets a ship, and goes searching for lost treasures.
1. Chapter One

**Title**: Finders, Keepers  
><strong>Chapter:<strong> Chapter One  
><strong>Author<strong>: bactaqueen  
><strong>Author's e-mail<strong>:  
><strong>Category<strong>: Post-New Jedi Order, Alternate Universe  
><strong>Keywords<strong>: Jaina Solo, Zekk, Alternate Universe  
><strong>Rating<strong>: PG-13  
><strong>Spoilers<strong>: New Jedi Order  
><strong>Summary<strong>: A year after the end of the war with the Yuuzhan Vong, Jaina Solo resigns from her duties as military officer and Jedi, teams up with an old friend, gets a ship, and goes searching for lost treasures.  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: "Star Wars" copyright George Lucas. Characters copyright respective owners. No profit is being made and no infringement is intended.

**_Finders, Keepers: Chapter One_**

Now the galaxy seemed a larger and stranger place to Jaina Solo. A year after the total and unconditional surrender of the Yuuzhan Vong, the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances was working to rebuild not only the government, but also each of the worlds devastated by the war. She knew reconstruction would be time-consuming and difficult. She knew that the GFFA and the Jedi Order needed volunteers, leaders, and doers. She knew that sentient beings dedicated to the restoration were necessary for the good of the galaxy. And she knew without a doubt that she could not be one of them.

Jaina strode into the Jedi High Council chamber with the swagger of a woman who knew what she wanted and was going after it. She wore the Starfighter Command dress uniform, and even the discomfort of the new, shiny black boots, black body stocking, and white jacket with the garish red trim couldn't subdue her spirits. The red edge of the jacket at her left breast was bare of rank insignia and her campaign ribbons now; she had just come from resigning her commission. She felt lighter. Free. And very soon, she would feel freer.

It was impossible to miss the curiosity in Luke Skywalker's expression as he watched his niece enter and cross the chamber. Though his face seemed worn, a slight smile curved his lips, and his blue eyes were bright, asking questions as they observed. He wore the black boots, pants, tunic, and robes he had favored since the end of the war with the Empire over twenty years before, and he sat comfortably in one of the newly replaced Council chairs with his back to the scarred Coruscant skyline. He looked every centimeter the Jedi Grand Master.

Jaina drew to a halt in front of Luke, in the center of the intricate red-and-yellow design laid into the floor. She bowed deeply. "Greetings, Grand Master Skywalker." Her voice seemed to echo in the nearly-empty chamber.

Amusement sparkled in Luke's eyes. "Good afternoon, Knight Solo," he intoned, mimicking her formality.

As Jaina straightened, she could feel Luke's piercing, inquisitive gaze on her. She did not allow it to shake her resolve. She simply stood at attention, her eyes locked with his, and waited for him to speak first.

For a moment, Luke seemed unsure. His amusement wavered, and the smile fell from his face as Jaina felt him reach out through the Force for a sense of what he should be expecting. Finally, he said, "What a pleasant surprise."

Jaina couldn't help the quick, humorless grin. Under other circumstances, it would have been pleasant to see her uncle. Under the current circumstances... "Hold that thought, Uncle Luke. I don't think you're going to like why I'm here."

Wariness cast a shadow over his face. "Should you be seated for this?"

With an emphatic shake of her head, Jaina answered, "No. If I sit, we'll talk, and this isn't up for discussion." She took a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and met her uncle's eyes. "I just resigned from the Galactic Alliance military."

Luke leaned back in his seat and frowned. She didn't need the Force to know he was thinking about her love of flying and her knack for command, and she knew he was considering that she had given it all up by resigning.

"I'm sorry to hear that," he said slowly. "The GA needs all the crack pilots and leaders they can get." He looked at Jaina as if the answers he wanted were written in tiny script on her irises, and if he looked hard enough, he could read them. "But this isn't about devoting more time to your Jedi duties, is it?"

"I am sorry, Uncle Luke." She knew this decision would hurt him, and she regretted inflicting that pain, but this was something she had to do. "I don't want to be the Sword of the Jedi." She took another deep breath; she had practiced the next words, but none of her practice had prepared her for the force of emotion she would feel standing before her uncle and Grand Master, rejecting all he had laid on her. "I'm resigning as a Knight of the New Jedi Order." She released her lightsaber from her belt and offered it, handgrip first, to Luke.

For several moments, he simply stared at the offered weapon. He wore the expression of a man who had been sucker-punched. Jaina could sense the tumult in him. She knew that there were a dozen other Jedi he had expected this from: Jedi at odds with him, Jedi who disagreed with some of his basic philosophies, Jedi who were just tired of being the failed guardians of a galaxy that didn't seem to want them anymore, even Jedi who had other duties and responsibilities and could no longer commit to the Order. He had not expected this from his sister's daughter.

Luke pushed her lightsaber away. "This isn't a CorSec holodrama where you have to turn in your blaster and badge." He took a deep breath. Then he took another. Then he looked up and met her eyes, and Jaina saw the hurt and hopelessness in them for a fleeting moment before his serene Grand Master mask dropped into place. "Why?"

Jaina winced. Even though he was trying to shield, she could feel how badly she had startled him. He had counted on her. He had placed his hopes for a strong Order in her. She met his eyes, and while she felt a pang of guilt for dashing his hopes, she was overcome by the sense of calm determination that had kept her standing at attention before General Antilles when she had resigned.

"Because I am done," she said firmly. "I've seen what being the Sword of the Jedi means. I don't want it. There's too much death. I don't want the destiny you decided for me. I want to make my own."

Luke looked shaken for a moment before he regained his composure. "I can't change your mind."

Jaina took a few steps forward and dropped to her knees. She laid her hands on Luke's knees and looked up at him, no longer a willful Jedi, now just a kid with her uncle. "For what it's worth, I didn't make this decision lightly. I didn't want to hurt you, and I really hope you can forgive me. This isn't personal at all."

Luke laid his hands on Jaina's. "I know you couldn't make this decision on a whim." He forced a smile, but it was a sad one. He leaned in and kissed her forehead. "You are too much your mother's daughter not to take your duties seriously. If you're doing this, you truly believe it's the best decision you can make."

Jaina nodded.

Luke pulled his niece into a hug, and Jaina held on. He looked suddenly a million years old, and she knew that this had broken a piece of something inside him. She hoped that it wasn't irreparable.

After several long moments, Luke released her. Together, they stood.

Jaina offered a small smile. "You're taking this better than I thought you would."

Luke laughed a tight, breathless laugh and ran a hand through his hair. For a moment, he was once again the teenaged farmboy out of his element. "I'm glad you think so."

"Thanks, Uncle Luke," she said, lifting on tiptoe to kiss his cheek.

"May the Force be with you, Jaina."

She gave him a lopsided grin. "This time, I'm hoping for plain old good luck."

Zekk was almost too big for the bunk. He was stretched out on his back with his shoulders leaving little bunk visible to either side, his Jedi robes acting as a blanket, his booted ankles crossed and the heels within centimeters of the end of the narrow bed. With his hands resting on his stomach and his eyes closed, he looked peaceful.

Jaina lingered in the doorway, studying her friend. As she looked closely, she saw the tiredness on his face, the dust in the lines of his forehead and at the corners of his eyes, the callouses on his fingers, the cuts and scrapes and short jagged nails that proved he'd been doing his fair share of rebuilding. The life of a Jedi was not always glamor and adrenaline.

He turned his face toward her and opened his eyes. They were greener than she remembered, the narrow coronas of deeper emerald around those very green irises were wider. Perhaps they only seemed greener in relation to the paling of his skin; somewhere along the way, maybe when the growth spurt had shot his height to two meters, he had lost that exotic green tinge. His shiny black hair was just as mussed and shaggy as ever, falling across his forehead and curling against his neck, loosened from the thong she knew was there to hold it back. Despite the changes, he was still recognizably Zekk.

"Hey, stranger." She grinned at him, glad that the war hadn't done much to change her feelings for him.

"Jaina!"

Zekk practically leaped from the bed, towering over her for a heartbeat before enfolding her in a tight hug. She was swimming in his robes, surrounded by the scents of him and sweat and stone, crushed against a chest that was harder and broader than she remembered. She hugged back fiercely.

A moment's hesitation betrayed his reluctance, but he pulled back. Zekk settled his big hands on her shoulders to brace her, to hold her at arm's length for careful inspection. Jaina suddenly felt the absurdity of the dress uniform, light makeup, and intricate braided bun into which she had twisted her hair for the day's previous errands. Finally, Zekk smiled again, but this time there was an edge to his smile, as though he didn't quite believe what he was seeing.

"What a sight you are. Are you here to help with the rebuilding, or are you just visiting?" Zekk dropped his hands and took a step back.

She had passed inspection, then. Jaina released the breath she hadn't realized she was holding, and excitement finally got the better of her. In the presence of her old friend, she wanted to bounce from foot to foot. She managed to control her body, but the grin was something she couldn't even try to control. "I have a proposition for you."

Interest and curiosity flared in Zekk's eyes. He stepped aside and waved Jaina toward the bed. "Have a seat."

Jaina crossed the small room in two steps, then settled herself tailor-style atop the rumpled blanket. She waited for Zekk to take a seat in the room's only chair, took a deep breath, and hoped that he'd say yes.

Zekk sank into the desk chair, his eyes never leaving Jaina. A rush of memories played in his mind as they always did upon seeing her for the first time after any separation, and as usual there was the stir of wanting _more_. He was so used to it by now that it barely hurt. It lay beneath the amusement he felt at seeing her in that ridiculous uniform and Alderaanian updo.

"How have you been, Zekk?"

"Surviving," he told her honestly, mentally kicking himself as the words left his mouth. He could have come up with something more positive. He suppressed the urge to wince. "How about you?"

A sly grin curved her lips, and her brandy-brown eyes sparkled. "Making plans."

Unable to resist her excitement, he smiled back. "The proposition?"

She nodded.

Zekk laughed. "Well?" he prompted.

Jaina held her hands before her, palms down and fingers spread, as though she was a general sitting before a map of the battlefield. "I want us to go into business together." Her expression hadn't changed, but there was a serious edge in her voice. "There are a lot of really wealthy beings in this galaxy who are eager to get on with their lives, and they're very interested in memorabilia and collectibles from the Old Republic, the Empire, the Sith, the Jedi... It's a huge market right now. There's an auction house on Kuat holding monthly events. I thought with your knack for finding things, we could make a killing."

Zekk frowned before he could help himself. He wasn't sure what he had expected, but this certainly wasn't it. "This is about money?"

"The money doesn't hurt, but no, it's not about money." She met his eyes again, and now instead of excitement, he saw a flash of desperation. Through the Force, he felt a sudden stab of need from her. "It's about doing something that feels good and doesn't end with someone dead."

Somewhat alarmed and confused, he frowned. "What about your squadron?"

"I resigned."

His frown deepened. "And the Jedi Order?"

"I resigned from that, too." Jaina bit her lip and for a moment looked like the girl he'd known on Yavin 4. Her expression was almost imploring when she said, "Please, Zekk? Do this with me?"

The emotion he felt from her through the Force tugged at his heart more than her words did. He had obligations and duties with the Jedi, and if he was honest with himself, he still felt he owed a debt of gratitude to Master Skywalker for taking him back in after all the mistakes he had made. But this was Jaina. He was incapable of denying her.

"We're going to need a ship. I don't have the _Lightning Rod_ anymore-"

Jaina flew off the bed and landed in his lap, her arms going immediately around his neck and her face close to his. She was laughing. "I knew I could count on you!"

This close, her eyes seemed infinitely deep, and he thought he saw a spark of something else in them, something he hadn't seen since before he'd left the Academy. He shared her laughter and put his arms around her. "Always."

"I have six years' back pay in an account on Aargau," she told him. "The New Republic and GA didn't pay much, but it should be enough to get us started." After a quick peck to his cheek, she slid off his lap and stood before him, gesturing impatiently. "Come on. Get your stuff, and we'll catch a shuttle back to my place."

Zekk rose. His cheek was warm where she'd kissed him, and his body felt the lingering ghost of hers. Her eagerness was a tangible thing, even without the Force. This breathless adventure-seeker was the Jaina he knew. Just like before, she was dragging him into her adventures, trusting him to have her back and share her excitement.

After Myrkr, he had thought this Jaina was gone forever, just another casualty of war. To have her before him was almost beyond his ability to believe, but he never had been one to ask too many questions when it came to the Force dropping an unexpected gift in his lap.

He looked around the small room, then back at her. "Will you wait for me? I have to see Master Skywalker before I leave."

Jaina's grin widened. "How about you go see Uncle Luke, I'll pack for you, and we can meet in front of the Temple?"

Her eagerness made him want to laugh. Instead, he returned her grin. "Deal."


	2. Chapter Two

**Title**: Finders, Keepers  
><strong>Chapter: <strong>Chapter Two  
><strong>Author<strong>: bactaqueen  
><strong>Author's e-mail<strong>:  
><strong>Category<strong>: Post-New Jedi Order, Alternate Universe  
><strong>Keywords<strong>: Jaina Solo, Zekk, Alternate Universe  
><strong>Rating<strong>: PG-13  
><strong>Spoilers<strong>: New Jedi Order  
><strong>Summary<strong>: A year after the end of the war with the Yuuzhan Vong, Jaina Solo resigns from her duties as military officer and Jedi, teams up with an old friend, gets a ship, and goes searching for lost treasures.  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: "Star Wars" copyright George Lucas. Characters copyright respective owners. No profit is being made and no infringement is intended.

_**Finders, Keepers: Chapter Two**_

Jaina paused before the unmarked door and drew a long, deep breath. She reminded herself that she had finally made a decision that was for _her_, not for family, not for friends, and not for the good of the galaxy. This meeting wouldn't be any easier than the meeting with Uncle Luke had been, but she still needed to have it. The familiar feel of determination settled over her.

She pressed the door buzzer.

There was the sound of bustling metal from inside, and then the door slid up to reveal a conservatively stylish foyer and a gleaming golden droid. Threepio's optical receptors brightened.

"Mistress Jaina!"

Jaina gave the droid a tight smile. "Hi, Threepio." She peered past him, down the long entryway. "Are Mom and Dad home?"

"Of course they are! Princess Leia and Captain Solo are-"

She slipped past him, the same tight smile plastered to her face. She didn't have the amused contempt for the chatty protocol droid that her father did, but she also didn't have the patience to listen to his affected rambling. She was here on a mission. "Thanks. Got anything to drink?"

Thrilled to have a request made of him, Threepio straightened his shoulders and pushed out his chest in a pantomime of pride. "I would be happy to check with the kitchen droids."

"Great." Jaina was more than halfway down the hall when she heard the front door slide down and then the droid's hurried shuffle as he tried to get in front of her, undoubtedly so he could announce her presence. "Thanks, Threepio. I can find Mom and Dad myself."

"Oh, I assure you that it is no trouble-"

Jaina tuned him out and stepped into the rounded living room. One quarter of the wall space was given over to a massive transparisteel window that showed the city scene below and the air traffic scene above. It was reinforced, blaster and crash-proof, and the exterior was privacy-coated; Jaina didn't have to ask to verify these things. The rest of the wall space was a very pale blue, and separate recessed doorways at regular intervals led to the bedchambers and refreshers, while an open archway to her right let to the kitchen. In the sunken seating area in the center of the room, Han Solo lounged on a couch a shade darker than the walls and two shades lighter than the carpet, his arms along the low back, his eyes trained on the smashball game projected on one of the undecorated expanses of wall. Jaina's smile warmed and reached her eyes. Some things never changed, no matter how much everything else did.

As if bidden, Princess Leia swept into the room from the left. She looked fresh in an ankle-length pale yellow dress, and her hair had been pulled into a relatively simple series of looping braids. Jaina's smile grew just a fraction.

Leia's eyes lit up when they met her daughter's. "Jaina! We weren't expecting you!"

On the couch, Han twisted around. His smile seemed more lopsided than ever, the lines in his face deeper. But his eyes were bright, and he no longer slumped with the weight of grief. "Hey, kiddo." He scooted to the right, then gestured invitingly. "Come on, sit down."

She didn't need the Force to sense her parents' pleasure at seeing her, and she didn't need it to feel loved. It had been a long time since she'd acknowledged that. "Hi Mom, Dad." Jaina stepped down into the seating area, carefully avoiding the table with the vase of fresh native flowers. She looked between her parents. "I hope this isn't a bad time."

Han glanced at his wife as she joined them in the sunken space and gave her a wink. To Jaina, he said, "Nah, you're fine."

Some things, Jaina reflected again, really didn't change. She rolled her eyes as she took a seat beside her father. "Dad. _Please._"

Han chuckled.

Leia shook her head, her expression one of patient amusement. She took a seat on the couch opposite Han's and Jaina's, sitting tall and straight and crossing her ankles. She studied Jaina for a moment, and worry flickered briefly in her brown eyes. "Is everything okay?"

"Actually, everything is great. Better than great."

Immediately wary, Han cocked an eyebrow. "Better than great?"

Worry now darkened Leia's face.

Jaina understood their reactions. Nothing had been great since before the war, if it had ever been great then. Nothing was supposed to be great with Anakin gone, Jacen on his mysterious journey of self-discovery, the galaxy ravaged, the future so uncertain. She wasn't willing to let those things keep her from feeling great now. Not anymore. She met her parents' eyes in turn and told them, "I've resigned from the GA military and the Jedi Order."

Shock rolled in a powerful wave off of Leia. Han let out a long, low whistle of surprise.

Leia recovered quickly, schooling her pretty, aging features into a bland mask. "Jaina, you can't do that," she said reasonably.

"Yes, I can. And I did."

Her mask slipped momentarily, revealing the confusion and trouble she felt. "But why?"

Jaina squared her shoulders, anchored her hands in her lap, and set her expression. She explained to her parents what she had explained to her commanding officers and to her uncle. Because they were her parents, she offered more than she had the others, telling them about the sadness and the anger, the temptation of the Dark Side, the true toll the war and all the loss had taken on her. She told them that being the Sword of the Jedi wasn't something she was willing to live up to anymore, that the new rank and command of a training program just meant she was sending children off to die, and sometimes those children were older than she was.

"I've been doing my duty. It's not that I don't think that's a worthy life; it's that because of it, I've spent most of the last five years on autopilot just waiting to die. I'm sick of waiting to die."

"But Luke was counting on you." Sadness filled Leia's voice. There was a touch of hurt, too.

That hurt tugged at Jaina's heart. Still, she pressed on, nodding slowly. "Uncle Luke will find someone else. There are plenty of Jedi—he can forge one of them into his Sword."

Leia turned to Han, her expression openly imploring. "Han, say something to your daughter."

Steeling herself, Jaina turned expectantly to Han. She knew that if anyone was going to understand what she was doing and why, it would be him. Han only looked thoughtful and made no indication he was ready to speak. Jaina gave him a few moments before prompting, "Dad?"

Han turned that thoughtful expression on her. Then he leaned forward and patted her leg decisively. "I think it's a great idea."

"Han!"

Relief flowed through Jaina, and she laid her hand over her father's. She gave him a grateful smile. "Thanks, Dad."

Han winked, and Jaina felt a distinct _don't worry about your mother_ message from him. He turned to Leia. His eyes narrowed and the set of his mouth firmed. "Do you remember what we said we wanted for our kids, Leia? Before the twins were even born?"

Leia frowned. "Happiness."

Han nodded. "Jaina wasn't happy training, and she wasn't happy as Luke's Sword," he said gently. "You heard her, sweetheart. She wants to be happy." He waited.

"How can she know this will make her happy?" She turned to Jaina. "How can you know this will make you happy?"

"I don't, Mom," she said honestly, shaking her head. "But I know what I was doing before didn't. I feel like I have to try."

Leia looked from Jaina to Han and back. A war of emotion played out on her face before her expression morphed into something diplomatic and impassive. She nodded once. "Then I will be happy for you, Jaina." She smiled.

Jaina knew her mother well enough to know that the smile was fake; it was the one she put on when the situation hadn't gone at all the way she wanted, but she didn't see any way to get what she _did_ want. Still, Jaina could appreciate Leia's acceptance. She smiled warmly at her mother. "Thank you."

Han leaned back and laced his fingers behind his head. "So what are you gonna do?"

Eager to discuss her plans, Jaina leaned forward. "The market for artifacts and memorabilia is starting to pick back up. Zekk is taking a leave of absence from the Order, and we're going to see what we can find."

Han cocked an eyebrow and shot a furtive glance at Leia. "Zekk is going with you?"

Jaina frowned and looked between her parents. "I wasn't going to do it alone." She met her father's eyes curiously and pointed out, "He has always been good at finding things, remember? He's a good pilot, and..." She trailed off, knowing she couldn't tell her father that she wanted more from Zekk, that this decision of hers had been a deliberate choice to recapture the hope she had once felt, and that Zekk had almost always made her feel hopeful. "And he's my friend."

"Wasn't he a little more than a friend?" Han asked pointedly.

Jaina sighed. "That was a long time ago, Dad."

Han's expression was skeptical. "Does he know that?"

"What does Jag think of this?" Leia broke in.

Jaina turned to her mother. Leia's face was neutral, but gravity was tugging at the corners of her mouth just enough to let Jaina know what was _really_ being asked. She fidgeted.

"Jag doesn't know," she told them, honestly. "I haven't talked to him."

"Aren't you supposed to meet him on Mon Cal in a few weeks?" Han had dropped his hands from behind his head and had rested them on his knees, leaning forward slightly.

"Our plans are never solid," Jaina deflected.

"If I remember correctly, he and Zekk don't get along very well." Leia smoothed a hand along her thigh, avoiding looking at Jaina as she spoke carefully. "Are you going to tell him what you're doing?"

Frowning to hide her irritation and impatience, Jaina considered what her parents were asking. It wasn't that she hadn't thought about Jag. She had. She had thought a lot about him, and how he might react when he found out that she had resigned her commission and run out on the Jedi. He wouldn't understand abandoning duty, though he might try to be supportive. Jaina knew that as soon as Zekk was mentioned, Jag would become unreasonable. Jaina would hardly blame him for it; if things went as she hoped, she was choosing Zekk over Jag, and that had never been something he had been willing to accept. She knew that she had to tell him, and had to end things with him, but the thought of that conversation was so daunting that she hoped to avoid it. Before, it had been so easy to lose touch with people and just passively end relationships. She wanted to do that again. It would be easier.

"I don't know," she finally said, and it wasn't a complete lie.

Han was making a face that was part disapproval, part disappointment, and part confusion. "What do you mean, 'you don't know'? You're not going to tell your boyfriend that you're running off to search for treasure with your ex-boyfriend?"

Jaina's face felt hot. "Jag is not my boyfriend. And Zekk is not my ex-boyfriend."

Leia's expression was tinged with amusement. "Then what would you call Jag?"

She was at a loss for words. This was not the conversation she had expected to have with her parents, and she found herself feeling like a petulant teenager as she thought, _'It's none of your business!'_ She sighed. "I don't know. We haven't made any promises." She almost winced. It was technically true, but boys who weren't in it for the long haul didn't invite you home to meet the parents, and they certainly didn't risk operational security in order to orchestrate romantic encounters.

"Yeah, that's something every father wants to hear," Han grumbled. He leveled a menacing finger at Jaina. "You shouldn't be sleeping with him if he's not making promises."

"Dad!"

"Han!"

Jaina wasn't sure what was more shocking: that her father had actually _said_ that, or that her mother was trying not to laugh at it. She looked between her parents, seeing the amusement on her mother's face and seeing the paternal self-righteousness on her father's, and she rolled her eyes.

"You know, I didn't come here to talk to you two about my love life." Jaina straightened her shoulders and looked at each of her parents, exasperated.

"Then you shouldn't have decided to run off with Zekk. You knew we were gonna have questions." Han leaned back into the couch again, studying Jaina more thoughtfully now. "Do you have a ship?"

"Zekk was talking to some of his old contacts in the lower levels when I left him this morning. We'll find one."

"You don't need to. Take the _Falcon_."

Jaina's heart stuttered, and her jaw dropped. "Dad!"

Leia's eyes went wide. "Han!"

He looked from his wife to his daughter, clearly pleased with himself for having utterly shocked them twice in so short a span of time. "What? Maybe the old girl misses the excitement." There was a knowing look in his eyes and something else, something almost nostalgic. "There's no one else I'd trust to take better care of her."

It took a long moment, but Jaina shook her head emphatically. The rush of blood in her ears made her voice sound faraway. "No. No way."

Han looked offended. "Why not?"

Jaina gave her father a _look_. "Are you kidding me? That's your ship. I can't take your ship."

"You think you can find something better?" There was a challenge in his tone.

"Not a chance." Jaina lifted her head, feeling again like a defiant teenager. "But we'll find something good enough, and we'll modify it from there."

"It still won't be as good as the _Falcon_."

She quirked a half-smile. "I'm going to do this on my own, Dad. I'm not going to take your ship because I don't want it. It's yours. Yours and Chewie's. It would never be mine."

Mentioning Chewie may have been a mistake, she thought when she saw the flash of anguish in her father's eyes. The conversation was officially too uncomfortable for her, so Jaina leaned over to him.

"I love you, Dad. I gotta go." She kissed his cheek.

Leia rose as Jaina did, and the women shared a brief, tight embrace. "Please be careful, Jaina." Her voice was all motherly concern.

Jaina gave a lopsided grin, then kissed her cheek. Leia smelled of flowers and face powder, a combination Jaina found comforting. She tightened her arms around her mother briefly, then pulled away. "I'm always careful, Mom. I love you."

Turning to go felt half like an escape... and half like the start of something new and wonderful.

When the front door had closed and the chime had sounded to indicate that it was locked, Leia turned to her husband. She said nothing, only stared expectantly.

It was a tactic that had worked far too often in their many years together. Han wasn't worried—he had a few strategies of his own. He offered up his most charming lopsided grin and waited.

Threepio bustled into the room, carrying a tray of drinks. He looked around. "Oh, my. Where is Mistress Jaina?"

"Gone, Goldenrod." Han lifted an arm from the back of the couch and gestured to the low white table between his couch and Leia's. "But you can leave the tray."

"The refreshments are quite sweet, Captain Solo. Your medical droid–"

Han scowled as Leia laughed. "Leave the drinks, Threepio," he said, this time using the tone of voice that implied, _Don't make me get my blaster._

Ignoring that, Threepio turned, seeking confirmation. "Princess Leia?"

Leia's eyes sparkled. "It's all right, Threepio. Han deserves a treat every now and then."

"Very well." The golden droid left the tray of drinks and sweets, then bustled back toward the kitchen, mumbling about the insufferable stubbornness of Corellians.

Han leaned forward and retrieved one of the sweet citrus drinks as well as one of the plump iced pastries. He would make Leia speak first.

It didn't take much longer. Leia rose from her couch and joined Han on his, sitting turned toward him with her knees almost touching his leg.

"Han, how can you let her do this?"

Threepio had missed his calling, Han decided. '_He should have been a pastry droid.'_ The icing melted in his mouth and necessitated a long, cool sip of the drink before he answered Leia.

"I don't _let_ her do anything. She's your daughter. She does what she wants."

"I'm certain she gets that from you."

Han grinned. "Yeah, probably." He sobered. "You've seen what this war has done to her."

Glancing to her lap, probably to hide the sadness in her eyes, Leia said, "It affected us all. The rest of us know our duty."

Han set his drink aside and covered Leia's hands with one of his own. He said quietly, "She's barely twenty-one. She shouldn't _have_ duty."

Leia stiffened. "At her age I was–"

"Running the Rebellion." Han smiled as his face softened. "I remember. I was there, sweetheart." He lifted his hand from hers and reached for her. "But do you remember why we fought?"

Willingly, Leia folded in and laid her head on his shoulder. "Well, _you_ were in it for a princess and the money."

Han laughed as he stroked her hair. "After that."

"Peace."

"And now we have it."

Leia sighed. "There's so much that needs to be done..."

"There are plenty of volunteers to do it all."

Leia shook her head, and her hair brushed his neck, sending goosebumps down his arms. "Not with her skills. We need her, Han. Gavin needs her. Luke needs her."

As valid as his wife's argument was, Han knew that Leia was wrong and Jaina was right. "She needs _this_. Let her have it."

For a few moments, she was quiet. Han took her silence as concession and reveled in his victory.

Then, "Why did you offer her the _Falcon_?"

Han smirked. "Easy. So we can use the trace beacon and keep track of her."

Leia sat upright and slapped his chest.

Grinning roguishly, Han lifted his hands and shoulders in a shrug. "What, suddenly I can't lie to my kids for their own good anymore?"

The tiny apartment Jaina had called home for a very brief time before Coruscant had fallen was cool and dark. It was considerably lower than the levels on which she'd grown up, a fact she liked; it meant privacy, and it meant that her neighbors left her alone.

She had made her way from her parents' place down, stopping along the way to pick up dinner at one of the new Alderaanian kiosks on one of the pedestrian walkways. It seemed to her a sign that Coruscant was well on its way to a successful recovery.

Jaina locked the front door behind her, shrugged out of her jacket, and kicked off her boots. It was nice to be home, if only for a few days. She could hear the news report from the living space just around the corner and followed the sound, molded-foam containers of food and drink balanced in one hand, the disposable utensils in the other.

Zekk was folded into the too-small chair at the terminal against the inside wall of the room, green eyes focused intently on the screen as images of freighters in various states of disrepair scrolled across it. Concentration furrowed his brows and drew his mouth into a tight frown.

Carefully, Jaina set one of the hot containers on the edge of the desk and laid one of the utensils atop it. "Did you find anything?"

Zekk indicated the screen with a nod. "There are a couple of junkyards out on Corellia. This one has some older YT freighters. A couple of them look to be in decent enough shape."

Nodding appreciatively, Jaina made her way the few short steps to the couch, dropped to lounge along the length of it, and opened her own dinner. The scent of spicy noodles and grilled nerf curled up around her and made her mouth water. She took a huge bite before telling Zekk, around the mouthful, "Dad offered me the _Falcon_."

Zekk choked loudly and spun the chair around. "What?"

"I told him no. I'm not doing this with his help. Or Mom's." Jaina fished a small cube out of one of the pockets of her jumpsuit, then tossed it to Zekk. "You can use this to book us transport on the next passenger vessel to Corellia. Even if we don't find anything, it's a place to start."

He caught the cube easily. He turned it over between his long fingers, studying it, concern and reluctance written on his face.

Jaina frowned at the top of his head. She didn't like the reservation she was sensing. "What is it?"

He looked up. His expression was as serious as the new darkness in his eyes. "Are you sure you want to do this? You have everything here." He gestured, and Jaina knew he didn't mean the small apartment, but her parents and her duties, Coruscant and the Galactic Alliance and the Jedi Order as a whole.

Stubbornly, she shook her head. It almost hurt that he still doubted her, but it was only fair. It had been a long time since she had really known what she wanted, since he had been part of that. "It's not enough, Zekk, and it's just not right. Yes, I want to do this. I need to do this."

She met his eyes and could see that he was still uncertain. He opened his mouth as if to say something and then closed it, still silent, and frowned. Jaina thought of her parents, and she thought of her uncle, and she offered him her best smile. She nodded toward the terminal.

"Go on, get us passage off this rock. Then I'll take you out, get you drunk, and tell you all about what a fabulous time we're going to have."


	3. Chapter Three

**Title**: Finders, Keepers  
><strong>Chapter: <strong>Chapter Three  
><strong>Author<strong>: bactaqueen  
><strong>Author's e-mail<strong>:  
><strong>Category<strong>: Post-New Jedi Order, Alternate Universe  
><strong>Keywords<strong>: Jaina Solo, Zekk, Alternate Universe  
><strong>Rating<strong>: PG-13  
><strong>Spoilers<strong>: New Jedi Order  
><strong>Summary<strong>: A year after the end of the war with the Yuuzhan Vong, Jaina Solo resigns from her duties as military officer and Jedi, teams up with an old friend, gets a ship, and goes searching for lost treasures.  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: "Star Wars" copyright George Lucas. Characters copyright respective owners. No profit is being made and no infringement is intended.

_**Finders, Keepers: Chapter Three**_

Jexon's was an old junkyard on the dusty outskirts of Coronet City. In the ship graveyard at the back of the property, at least one example of each incarnation of the Corellian YT freighter sat among the remains of a few Gthroc 720 freighters, a handful of Z-95 Headhunters, an old Incom T-65 X-wing, and even a couple of disassembled TIE fighters. To Jaina, it was an impressive collection.

"The freighters will all make it to the spaceport," the junkyard manager was saying. He was a short, stout man who looked more like a Hutt on two legs than a human. He gestured to a set of spindly droids in the shadow of the X-wing. "I have them check the sublight engines and the repulsors weekly." He led them past a row of hyperdrive engines stacked in the shade of a three-wall shed. Jexon glanced at Zekk, who towered over him by almost half a meter. "You wanted to see the YT 2400."

Zekk strode along beside him. "That's right."

The old man nodded toward the back of the yard. "Had it a few years. The last owner was killed at Ebaq 9. My son-in-law got it in a salvage deal. It's in good shape, I meant to sell it off as a refugee ship but never found a buyer. The Galactic Alliance didn't want to put the effort into fixing her up."

Zekk only made a non-committal noise.

The trio rounded the bow of a Nubian yacht and it was then that the YT 2400 came into view. Jaina's mouth went dry and her heart began to race. She tuned Jexon out as they approached, and a thoughtful frown turned her mouth down and furrowed her brow.

It sat slightly lopsided on its landing skids, as if the hydraulics in the port side were weakening. The whole ship was covered in a layer of dust almost as thick as hull reinforcement plating. Aspects of it were familiar: the disc shape that looked like home, the starboard-mounted cockpit, and the sturdy size of it. It had a top turret with a double laser cannon. Under the cracked transparisteel of the cockpit viewport were the concussion missile launcher tubes. Jaina knew that those were standard among the YT 2400, which along with the stronger-than-normal hull were some of the reasons the Corellian freighters were favored by smugglers, pirates, and small-time transport companies alike.

Jaina followed Zekk and Jexon around, starting on the starboard side. The escape pod behind the cockpit was missing, but she had seen a couple of those among the junker's store when they'd first entered the yard. All four ion engines were in place at the aft end, and to visual inspection all looked to be in good shape despite the hull scoring above and below one of the engines. Jaina was heartened by that fact. The cargo ramps were starkly visible, the mismatched paint showing that the parts had been replaced in a hurry—probably during a lull between battles. There was minor cosmetic hull damage; carbon scoring from laser cannon blasts here and small pits where yorik coral or other space debris had gotten through the particle shields there. In other places, the hull paint didn't match the color surrounding the patch, leading Jaina to wonder about the overall integrity.

Back in front, Jexon touched a button on the ship's belly and lowered the boarding ramp. The sound of misfiring hydraulics on the port side made Jaina suspect a problem with the droid brain controlling the raising and lowering of the ramps and skids. She followed behind the junker and Zekk, moving slowly, taking in as much as she could. The air from the ship smelled metallic, old. She paused at the top of the ramp, looking to her left and to her right, noticing the trash that littered the deck and the dull, unused look of the bulkheads. It was nothing a thorough cleaning couldn't take care of.

She followed the other two right, into the passenger area with the booth-style seating, the table that served as an eating place and an entertainment center, and the tiny galley. It was well-kept and new-looking, making Jaina think that the freighter had never belonged to someone who traveled purely for the pleasure of it; this was a functional space only.

To the right of the passenger lounge, there was a narrow corridor that led past two small cabins and a small but well-appointed 'fresher unit, complete with an entirely enclosed sanisteam and a simple clothing cycler. The corridor dead-ended, and to the left of the dead end was the cockpit. It looked and felt like home, with the pilot's and co-pilot's seats facing forward, the navigator's and the communication officer's seats facing their respective consoles but able to face the viewport, the "W"-shaped yoke topping the control column, and the necessary controls and sensor screens all in familiar places. From inside, it was clear that the damage to the transparisteel was more extensive than she had realized when viewing it from outside, but since the YT series was so common, she doubted they'd have trouble replacing the canopy.

Directly behind of the cockpit was the escape pod. Or, rather, where the escape pod would be, had there been one. Jaina was relieved to see that the rodent infestation had not made it past the airlock. The airlock's integrity probably wasn't compromised, so replacing the escape pod would be a simple matter.

Jexon led them back toward the passenger area, stopping to show them a hatch that opened in the center bulkhead. Through it, a ladder led up into the anti-gravity bubble that housed the seat and controls for manual operation of the topside laser cannon. Immediately to the left of the hatch was a secret closet: the bulkhead had to be touched in a specific way in order to open it, and so it served as the ship's most secure storage. Jexon assured them that it was also scan-proof, a fact Jaina made a mental note to verify later.

Past the lounge space, the access corridor that led around the ship's central systems narrowed to only a meter wide. Blast doors opened into two separate cargo bays, both with more than enough space to carry whatever Jaina thought they might pick up. The cargo bays were also accessible from the outside, through the ramps that could be lowered to allow easier loading.

Finally, they came to the engine and systems rooms, blocked off by a heavy blast door. Jexon let them in and remained in the corridor behind; space was tight, but Jaina knew that she and Zekk would manage to work together, not only during the initial repair, but during any required emergency repairs. Here, they had access to the important parts of all of the ship's engines and the shield generators and the missile payload. There was nothing in any of the rooms that had come with the ship factory standard. It had already been modified with high-end engines and shielding, almost military grade.

It was enough to make the grown woman tremble with excitement. As it was, the ship was perfect. Jaina could also see in it all the possibilities, the endless chances for modifications. It was the exact ship she wanted.

As she followed Zekk and Jexon to the boarding ramp and out into the warm Corellian afternoon, she sent Zekk those thoughts.

Outside, the old man turned to them both. "I was prepared to go as low as twenty-three thousand for it," he told them, and the sum seemed absurdly low to Jaina before she reconsidered. It was probably reasonably high, considering the likelihood that most beings didn't have the resources left to afford such a purchase. Jexon went on, "But if you want it today and you're paying in full, for a Solo and her fellow Jedi, I'll take twenty thousand."

Jaina hid her shock with a sharp glance. "What makes you think I'm a Solo?"

The old man cocked a bushy eyebrow. "Do you really think you're fooling anyone, girl?"

She started to narrow her eyes and open her mouth, but Zekk stepped in front of her. "I can see that it needs some replacement parts. Do you have a new viewport and an escape pod?"

Jaina let out a breath. "We need a second laser cannon, too. And the crash chair and anti-grav well to go with it."

Jexon nodded. "I have all of those." He looked from Zekk to Jaina. "Do you want it or not?"

Zekk didn't even have to get her approval. "Yes. We'll take it."

While Zekk paid for their ship and the necessary parts, Jaina returned the borrowed speeder to the Coronet spaceport and rented a docking bay on the city's seedier side. It would have been safer to get a docking bay closer to the tourist district, but Jaina knew they'd never get any leads from tourists. It was those who had the attention of Corellian Security who also had the information she wanted. As she waited, she also bought the assortment of tools she thought they'd need, and rented a tiny room at a dive of a lodging facility a few blocks from the docking bay. It would have made far more sense to just sleep on the ship, but, again, they wouldn't have had access to as much information. She did not doubt Zekk's ability to find things that had remained lost, but Jaina had every intention of supplementing that sixth sense with as much real information as possible.

For a local week, they spent their days in the docking bay working on the ship. Long past sunset, bone tired and filthy with grease and dust, they made their way to a nearby tapcaf for drinks and a meal, eating quietly as they listened to the low conversations all around them. Once finished, they would go back to the little room and, together, collapse onto the narrow bed. Early the next morning, they would rise, stop at the all-hours breakfast diner on their way to the spaceport, drink caf and listen to the spacers and smugglers and freighter captains, then spend the rest of the day working on the ship.

Near the end of the week, Jaina was completely exhausted. Zekk was more of a bed hog than she remembered, and the mattress in the room was thin and uncomfortable. She never had time to drink enough caf in the mornings, and she kept forgetting that Zekk had thought to stock the galley with everything necessary for a decent cup of it. Getting the ship ready was tiring and required more time in awkward positions than she had first considered.

Still, she was excited. She felt like they had been getting good leads from the locals, and she already had a mental list of places to visit once they were ready to leave Corellia. And in spite of his bed-hogging ways, Jaina was immensely glad to be spending the time with Zekk. Their friendship had been one of the casualties of the war and of her relationship with Jag. It was the only one she believed she could resurrect.

It was halfway through the morning of the fifth day. The cockpit viewport and the escape pod had been replaced already, and while Zekk inspected the hull and worked on the shield generator, Jaina installed the second laser cannon in the belly of the ship.

Her muscles screamed in protest. She hung from the new hole in the deck, directly below the upper turret, her ankles hooked under the ladder's lowest rung to keep her from falling into the capsule she was installing. It would eventually hold the crash chair and controls for manual manipulation of the laser cannon. For now, it was just an empty bubble with a durasteel frame and transparisteel all around. A shield protected her face from flying sparks produced by the laser welder as she sealed the bubble to the belly of the ship.

It was nice to be on her own schedule, she reflected. It was even nicer to be working with her hands, on her own ship, making her own modifications and working toward her own goals. There was a fullness inside her, a sense of satisfaction she hadn't since she first started training at the Academy or since she had first started flying with Rogue Squadron under Colonel Darklighter. She felt worlds away better than she had in years. With each passing day, seeing the ship take on the life she and Zekk were giving it, she wanted this even more.

"If you don't take a break, you're going to give yourself a headache."

Jaina cut off the laser and lifted the face shield, then craned her neck to look up. Zekk was leaning into the little tube, peering over the edge of the deck hole. His hair had fallen loose, and his sleeveless tunic was sweaty and grime-streaked. The most interesting thing about him at the moment was the fact that he held two steaming mugs of what was unmistakably caf.

She gave him a grin. "It's nice that a headache is my biggest concern these days."

Zekk's smile was mysterious. "Not for long."

Chuckling, Jaina hauled herself up and set the laser torch and face shield aside. She maneuvered around to sit on the farthest edge of the hole, her legs dangling inside, her back to the tube's bulkhead. It gave Zekk a just enough room to linger inside. Jaina held her hand out, and he obligingly relinquished a mug.

She made a happy sound in the back of her throat. "I knew I liked you for a reason." After a long sip and an appreciative sigh, she met his eyes. "How's the shield generator?"

Zekk leaned back against the bulkhead, crossing one ankle over the other, and sipped his caf. "At ninety percent right now. Hull integrity is over one hundred fifty percent of manufacturer's specs, but knowing you, I'm still going to get that generator up to full capacity."

Jaina smiled a little, nodded. She liked having someone who knew her well as a partner. Then, shifting gears, she asked him, "What do you think of that Hutt business we heard about this morning?"

"It won't hurt to look into it. I wanted to go to Ylesia, anyway." He paused to sip his drink, then nodded to indicate the work below Jaina. "How's the turret coming?"

She groaned. "Slow. I know it'll be worth it, but it's such a pain."

Chuckling, Zekk offered, "We can trade if you want."

"No." Jaina shook her head. "You're much better with the shield generator than I am. I want to get this stuff done today so we can both look at the engines tomorrow."

"System diagnostics indicate the engines are functioning at optimal levels."

"You sound like a droid."

Zekk made a face.

With a laugh, she said, "I think we can squeeze a few more MGLTs out of them."

He quirked a smile. "I knew you were going to say that."

"No fair using the Force on me!"

His laugh was sharp, unexpected, hearty. He pushed away from the bulkhead. "I'll get back to work. You should think about what you want to name her."

Jaina watched Zekk disappear around the curve of the corridor, relishing the sudden warmth in her chest at that last smile he'd given, that laugh, and appreciating that final view before she lost sight of him. With a sigh, she shook herself, then drained her mug.

As she wriggled back down into position, a voice seemed to whisper at the back of her mind, telling her that she was ready for more.

Jaina slapped her face shield down and switched on the laser. Whatever it was, there would be time enough for it later. Right now, she had a laser cannon to install.


	4. Chapter Four

**Title**: Finders, Keepers  
><strong>Chapter: <strong>Chapter Four  
><strong>Author<strong>: bactaqueen  
><strong>Author's e-mail<strong>:  
><strong>Category<strong>: Post-New Jedi Order, Alternate Universe  
><strong>Keywords<strong>: Jaina Solo, Zekk, Alternate Universe  
><strong>Rating<strong>: PG-13  
><strong>Spoilers<strong>: New Jedi Order  
><strong>Summary<strong>: A year after the end of the war with the Yuuzhan Vong, Jaina Solo resigns from her duties as military officer and Jedi, teams up with an old friend, gets a ship, and goes searching for lost treasures.  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: "Star Wars" copyright George Lucas. Characters copyright respective owners. No profit is being made and no infringement is intended.

_**Finders, Keepers: Chapter Four**_

Corellia was nothing more than a gravity signature on navigational computer's map. Through the forward viewport, the galaxy's stars were tiny, brilliant pinpricks against a black velvet backdrop. Jaina, Zekk, and the _Hunter's Blade_ were on their way.

Zekk moved his hands over the controls. "Do you still want to head for Hutt space?"

Jaina tore her eyes from the view ahead and looked over. Zekk almost dwarfed the crash couch and the controls before him, and she had to stifle the urge to compare him to a Wookiee. Instead, she just smiled.

"Sure. Even if we can't get anything from the Hutts, we can go to Ylesia. Maybe the t'landa Til left something behind, something the Peace Brigade missed."

Zekk nodded absently, swiveling his chair to face the navicomp. "Direct course?"

Jaina's eyes swept over the screens, reading the sensors and gauges, verifying once again that all was as it should be with the engines, hull integrity, shields, weapons systems, and the traffic around them. "Yes. We'll still have a couple of days in hyperspace." She glanced over her at him, smiling faintly. "I don't know about you, but I could use the rest." As if to punctuate her point, her left shoulder throbbed, reminding her of the large, nasty bruise she'd given herself with a piece of machinery in the engine room.

"You're a slave driver, Jaina. I might sleep the whole way." He punched in a set of calculations and end coordinates. "Course laid in."

Jaina brought the calculations up on an auxiliary screen and did the math quickly in her head. When her results agreed with Zekk's, she nodded once. "Punch it."

After a brief hesitation, Zekk pulled the lever. Jaina held her breath as she watched the stars stretch into long lines, then coalesce into a dancing tunnel.

All around her, the ship hummed with the familiar sounds of a well-functioning machine hurtling through hyperspace. Jaina lounged in the booth set into the alcove in the passenger section, back against the cushioned seat, booted feet up on the edge of the table. The datapad screen glowed blue-green against her face, and her eyes were narrowed as she scrolled through the list of lost artifacts and treasures she had compiled. There were ceremonial items from long-dead monarchies, lost treasures from civilizations that were little more than memories, historically-significant but otherwise very dull items like rotunda seats from senate halls and busts of ancient leaders, and artwork that would have made Grand Admiral Thrawn salivate. Each entry included a blurb about the item, including its history, significance, last known location, and the details of any recovery attempts. Next to these blurbs, a holo helped Jaina visualize what they were potentially looking for.

The galaxy was a big place. The last fifty years had seen near-constant war. A lot of valuables had gone missing.

The list was sortable by world or government, so she punched in a quick command and found herself staring down at a list of items linked to Ylesia. Some of the items had gone missing from Hutt or t'landa Til collections, some of them had gone missing when the freighters smuggling them had crashed , and others had been lost when the pilgrims had gone. Jaina frowned, wondering not for the first time if Zekk's Force-given talents were going to be enough.

She was lost in thought when he dropped into the booth directly across from her and set a hefty bottle and two short, sturdy glasses on the table between them. Her head came up.

Zekk turned the bottle, presenting the distinctive Whyren's Reserve label.

Jaina laughed.

Zekk's smile was small and mysterious. "To help us sleep," he suggested. He pulled the bottle back and gripped the top. A moment later, the lightweight organic plug came off with a _pop_.

"I don't think we need it." Jaina let her boots fall from the table and set her datapad aside.

Zekk poured their drinks, shrugging. "Probably not. But we definitely earned a celebration."

She reached for one of the glasses and raised it in a silent toast. Zekk followed suit. After the musical _clink_ of glass, they tossed back their first set of shots. The whiskey had a crisp, woody taste, and swallowing it brought the familiar slow burn. Jaina closed her eyes and released a satisfied sigh. There had been more than one celebration during the war, more than one chance to indulge in a number of fine whiskeys and brandies and ales, but this was different. It was better.

She poured another round.

Only after they had finished their second drinks in silence and were sipping contentedly at their third did Zekk glance at the datapad laying on the table between them. He set fingertips on the edge and pulled it toward him, tipping his head and peering curiously down at it. "What is this?"

Jaina savored each sip of whiskey. "Research. Things we might be looking for on Nar Shaddaa and Ylesia." She leaned back. "The Hutts have acquired an impressive collection over the years, and some of it trickled down to the t'landa Til. Moss paintings from Alderaan, books from the Chiss, Old Republic artifacts, some Bafforr trees..." Jaina trailed off, noticing Zekk's green eyes dancing across the screen. The list wasn't comprehensive, not by any means, but she hoped that something on there would catch his attention.

He nodded appreciatively. "We can definitely use this." He glanced up at her, quirked a smile. "It'll be nice to know what I'm looking for."

Jaina smiled back. "We can add to it as we go. And with a little luck, maybe we can even remove entries." She took a long sip, letting the whiskey sit on her tongue.

She already felt warmer, looser, more relaxed. She settled more comfortably into the booth. She watched Zekk now, unabashed, taking him in as she hadn't yet allowed herself. Even sitting, he was big, filling that half of the booth in a way that surprised her. She wondered if she'd ever get used to the results of that late-adolescence growth spurt. His hair had worked free of the thong tying it back and fell around his face as he leaned over the datapad. His eyelashes seemed longer in the shadows, his nose straighter, his lips fuller. There were new lines around his eyes and his mouth, stress and smile lines. It occurred to Jaina that although the last few years had been hard, they probably weren't much different from the years before the war for him. She frowned, considering that.

"We have the added advantage of the Force," Zekk pointed out idly, unaware of her examination and the turn her thoughts had taken.

It took her a moment to remember what they had been talking about, but when she did, she felt an immediate change. The Force. Her old life. She knew, of course, that she couldn't entirely abandon the Force—it was as much a part of her as any other sense. Denying it would be like cutting off a limb or losing her sight. She had lost her sight before. She didn't enjoy it. The Force had dominated her life for as long as she could remember, and for the last five years, it had been the primary reason she was so unhappy. She couldn't turn the Force off, and she hadn't been able to pretend for even a little while that she wasn't the Sword of the Jedi. It had burned her out.

Zekk raised his head. There was concern in his eyes, in the set of his mouth.

"Do you ever wonder what you'd be, who you'd be, without the Force?"

Unsurprised by the question, Zekk shook his head without hesitation. "I would probably be dead."

Jaina stared down into her glass. "I don't know about that." She finished off her drink, then poured herself another two fingers. She looked up into the deep green eyes of her childhood friend and could not imagine him succumbing to the fate he had described. "I think you'd still have those survival instincts."

"Is that what this is about?" he asked suddenly, peering intently at her. "Living without the Force?"

She shook her head lightly. "This is about being selfish. I gave everything over to the good of the galaxy, and now I'm tired, and I want to know if there's anything left for me." She looked away, unnerved by his intensity. "Training as a Jedi, flying with the Rogues, commanding Twin Suns... Even being with Jag was _expected,_ and I just didn't want to let _them_ down. It felt like they were counting on me-Mom, Uncle Luke, Aunt Mara, General Antilles-and I was so afraid of disappointing someone important that I never stopped to think about what I really wanted. I _thought_ that I wanted those things." She sighed. "I didn't. Not really."

Zekk lifted his chin as if preparing for a long speech. "What you've done-"

Waving him silent, she went on, "I know, I know. But it's over now."

"So you want to be a smuggler." He looked as skeptical as his voice sounded.

"I don't know. I know that I've done what Uncle Luke wanted, and I've done what Mom wanted. I know that being a Jedi and being an officer aren't really working for me now. Why not give Dad's old life a try?" Abruptly, she raised her head. The smile on her face channeled Han Solo's charm. "I always did take after him, anyway."

"A fact he is quick to point out at every available opportunity." Zekk returned her smile.

Jaina's heart fluttered. She lowered her eyes and studied her drink as she swirled it in her glass. "Dad had to have one kid he could be proud of."

His laughter warmed her better than the whiskey did.

Much later, they were on the deck beside the table, their backs to the bulkhead and their sides pressed together. They had long since dispensed with the formality of the glasses and were simply sharing the bottle. There was little left. Jaina felt the warm tingling in her fingers. It had been far too long.

She confessed to the bulkhead across from her, "I didn't even end things with Jag. I didn't know what to say. I just sent him a message, told him I was going away for a while." She relieved Zekk of the bottle.

His eyes were on her, somewhat glazed and unfocused, and considerably less shrewd than they had been the hour before. His hair was mussed, and he had stripped off his rough overtunic and kicked off his boots. He sat now in his sleeveless undertunic and stockinged feet, but his skin was still pink-tinged as though he were too warm.

"You don't think he'll come after you?"

Jaina shrugged and sagged against him. She let him take the bottle from her as she focused on the warmth of him. Her muddled brain made a slow connection between the reassuring bulk of him and comfort, and she wriggled until that lean-muscled arm draped over her shoulders and held her to his side.

"If he does, I'll end it." She frowned. "Maybe."

Zekk took another hearty gulp, and his arm around her tightened a fraction. "Maybe?"

Was it just her, or did he sound slightly breathless?

Pushing her hair out of her eyes, Jaina tipped her head back and looked up at his profile. Very slowly, she opened herself up to him through the Force, broadcasting her feelings. "It will depend," she said carefully.

She wasn't imagining the bobbing of his laryngeal prominence when he swallowed. "On?"

Jaina set her mouth in a serious line. "On you." Her tone was deliberate and challenging.

For several long moments, Zekk was quiet. He finished what was left of the Whyren's Reserve, then set the bottle aside. He took a deep breath; Jaina could feel that he was centering himself.

"You had better mean what you're saying."

Jaina spared a brief, sad glance at the empty whiskey bottle, then turned back to Zekk. "I'm saying you're more of a bed hog than I remember, but I'm willing to put up with it to find out just how much you've _grown_ since that day by the river." Emboldened by his reaction and affected by the way the liquor loosened her inhibitions, she sent him a vivid memory of an afternoon on Yavin: two fumbling teenagers on a muggy afternoon on the bank of a slow, muddy river, hot kisses and slick skin, a shared first time.

Without further hesitation, Zekk used the table behind them to pull himself up on unsteady legs. He leaned down, tipping precariously, and hauled Jaina to her feet. He pulled her close and stared unflinchingly down into her eyes.

A heartbeat later, his mouth had claimed hers. The kiss was like a hyperspace jump with the inertial compensator dialed way down, stealing her breath and sending her stomach to live in her toes. Dimly, she became aware of his hands-hard, roaming, and possessive, just as demanding as his mouth.

Jaina pressed closer and fully opened herself to the kiss and to the wash of emotion battering at what remained of her Force defenses. She tangled her fingers in his hair and in the thin tunic at the small of his back, and for the first time in too long, she let herself go.


	5. Chapter Five

**Title**: Finders, Keepers  
><strong>Chapter: <strong>Chapter Five  
><strong>Author<strong>: bactaqueen  
><strong>Author's e-mail<strong>:  
><strong>Category<strong>: Post-New Jedi Order, Alternate Universe  
><strong>Keywords<strong>: Jaina Solo, Zekk, Alternate Universe  
><strong>Rating<strong>: PG-13  
><strong>Spoilers<strong>: New Jedi Order  
><strong>Summary<strong>: A year after the end of the war with the Yuuzhan Vong, Jaina Solo resigns from her duties as military officer and Jedi, teams up with an old friend, gets a ship, and goes searching for lost treasures.  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: "Star Wars" copyright George Lucas. Characters copyright respective owners. No profit is being made and no infringement is intended.

_**Finders, Keepers: Chapter Five**_

Zekk woke to the smell of caf. It was exceptionally strong caf, the kind he hadn't smelled since his days flying for the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances. The next sense he regained was feeling, when he stirred and realized that he was naked and important parts of his anatomy were exposed to the cold, recirculated air. It was never so cold in his quarters. He opened his eyes. The bulkheads were jumping; it took him a moment to figure out that it was his heartbeat pounding behind his eyes, so he closed them. His brain felt like cotton, and there were tiny workers using that cotton to support themselves as they hammered relentlessly away at the inside of his skull. He groaned.

The night before came back to him in vivid flashes of sensory memory. He groaned again.

The caf could only be Jaina's doing. She wasn't in the bed beside him—a pity, he thought, because it would have been nice to wake up with her—and he could sense her on the other side of the interior bulkhead. There was nothing unusual about her presence through the Force, no heightened emotions, no turbulent thoughts. He wanted to know how she felt and how he was supposed to feel. There was only one way to find out.

Zekk pushed himself up and swung his legs over the side of the bed, ignoring the cold as his feet touched the deck. He leaned over and searched the floor for his trousers, wondering how he hadn't heard Jaina search for her clothes when she had gotten up. He tugged on the pants, standing as he went. Even without the aid of a mirror or light, he knew his hair was a mess. He ran his fingers through the tangled black mess, trying to smooth it. It was all just a delay and he knew it, heard the little voice in the back of his mind telling him to get on with it, it had to happen, and sooner was better and less awkward than later. He sighed and set his shoulders, then made his way out of the cabin and down the corridor, padding barefoot toward the smell of caf, the promise of breakfast, and the only girl he'd ever-

No, he wasn't thinking about that.

Her back was to him as he rounded the corner. For that, he was grateful, because even his bleary eyes couldn't ignore the snug shorts, the arm-baring shirt, and the thick, still-damp brown hair pulled back in a simple low braid. She looked so much like she had on Yavin that it eased his headache and made him smile. Then, as she stretched to reach something in a compartment above the synth unit, baring a strip of inviting skin just above the waist of those shorts, last night's memories came rushing back. He had to close his eyes and shake himself. That would never do. Not if he wanted to have a serious conversation.

When he opened his eyes, she was standing right before him.

"Will you take these to the table? I'll bring the food."

He took the mugs of caf she offered, then started when she lifted on tiptoe to brush her lips over his in a good-morning kiss. Surprise widened his eyes, but at least he had the sense to kiss back.

And then she had pulled away and turned around. He was dismissed so she could finish plating the food.

Zekk moved to the table and slid into the booth. The nerf hide was cold against his back; he noticed for the first time the slight stinging that raced in lines from his shoulders to his waist. He smiled to himself as he set one of the mugs at her place on the other side of the table, watching her through the steam rising from it.

She had grown up from the girl he remembered. She was more demanding now, more giving, and certainly more skillful. He wondered, with a flare of jealousy, if he had Colonel Fel to thank for that. He'd noticed new scars and wanted to ask about them, but he knew from long experience that when booze was involved, it was best to ignore the war stories. She seemed stronger now, and she'd filled out. All in all, the changes weren't bad ones. There wasn't much he didn't remember, or recognize, or guess correctly from the hints he'd caught burning through the Force. She was still the same girl he... Well. She was still the same girl, just grown up.

He couldn't help wondering just what she wanted from him. He knew exactly what _he_ wanted. It was the same thing he had always wanted, the same thing he had tried to ignore for so long and had finally started to accept. It was the same thing he had assumed, after Borleias and Colonel Fel's swift claim, that he would never have.

The second thought of Jag reminded him of something she had said the night before. He frowned. The fact that she hadn't ended her relationship with Colonel Cardboard was going to complicate matters.

Finally, Jaina slid into the booth opposite him, setting breakfast plates in front of each of them. Steam rose from seasoned breakfast steaks, shredded and fried tubers, hawk-bat eggs, and warmed bread; Zekk's stomach growled. He set his caf aside, and utensils clinked as Jaina handed over the fork and knife he needed.

She grinned at him. "Certified hangover cure, courtesy of Han Solo." She raised her mug as if in toast, then sipped it. A moment later, she was digging into her meal. There were no manners, there was no grace. She looked undignified and unafraid of judgment.

He smiled.

A few moments passed as they ate. Then, without preamble, Jaina said, "Last night."

Zekk raised his head.

Her eyes were dark and serious, and there seemed to him just a hint of vulnerability in them. "It can be a one-time thing, or it can be more." She quirked her lips in a smile he knew was meant to be friendly but still serve as armor should she need it. "I want more, but it's your call."

His tongue lay in his mouth like a fat, useless slug.

Evidently misunderstanding his silence, Jaina scowled. "I know I made mistakes at Myrkr and after," she said, her voice softer. "I know listening to Jag at Borleias and keeping you out of the Twins was a mistake on my part and pure jealousy on his. I hope you can forgive me." She fell silent for a moment, and her face softened. She seemed to be struggling with what she wanted to say. Finally, she set her shoulders and finished, "I had an ulterior motive for asking you to do this with me, Zekk. Last night was it."

Valiantly, he tried to school his features into something less dumbstruck.

She gave him a tentative, hopeful smile. It wasn't the friendly one, it wasn't the famous Solo grin. It was his smile, the smile she'd always reserved for him.

It was all he needed. Heart melted, tongue loosened, he finally said, "I want more."

The last time Jaina had been to Ylesia had been during the war. She remembered that mission too well, and she was glad to be on the planet under these circumstances, when she was able to appreciate its beauty without worrying about the Yuuzhan Vong or the Peace Brigade or her worthless cousin.

Well, she amended silently, she _would_ enjoy it, if it wasn't so muggy and branches hadn't scraped her face and tugged tiny tears into her clothes. Zekk was several meters ahead of her, leading the way through the jungle that separated their landing site from the selected scavenging site. She knew he was on to something, knew that at the end of this hike he would find something worthwhile. She just wished she had been able to set the ship down at the scavenge site.

But at least no one was shooting at her.

She emerged into the clearing behind Zekk, her hand immediately going to the blaster strapped to her thigh. There was no Force tingling at the back of her mind that meant "danger," and she had nothing to be worried about, but old habits die hard, and she wasn't wearing her lightsaber.

To her right and ahead fifty meters was a long, low building. The windows were broken and the whole structure was covered in vines that grew along the permacrete walls. Even from where she stood, Jaina could see that parts of the ceiling had caved in. Off to her left, at the far end of the clearing, stood an open-air temple with flagstones set into the ground before it. That would be where the pilgrims had received their services. Directly ahead, set back quite a distance, was a three-story building that Jaina immediately recognized as a dormitory.

Zekk held up just a few steps into the clearing and stared ahead, not at the dorm but at someplace beyond it, with a look of concentration on his face. She stopped beside him, watching him carefully as he turned his attention to each of the three buildings in turn.

Finally, he said, "The factory first," and started off in the direction of the low building.

Jaina had to jog to keep up with him.

Zekk rounded the corner of the building, and Jaina was right behind him. She kept back as he lifted the broken door from its place in the doorway and set it aside, then followed him into the dank, musty dimness.

It was one room, and parts of the ceiling had indeed come down. Rubble covered every flat surface. Through the rubble and over the remaining furniture, native vegetation grew wild. Leaves rustled with the movement of small animals and large insects, and arachnid webs glinted in the sunlight.

Tables were arranged in four lines from end to end. Beside each table were boxes of black vials, and along each of the four walls were floor-to-ceiling shelves on which sat gear: gloves, dark-vision goggles, trays to hold the vials, more boxes of vials, respirators, and various hand tools. As Jaina's gaze swept over the room, she realized that what was left of the windows were blacked out.

"Glitterstim," she said. She glanced at Zekk, curiosity on her face. "How did you know?"

Zekk pushed his hair back from his face as he stepped carefully over a meter-long chunk of ceiling. He glanced back over his shoulder and said, "Watch your step."

Irritation flared inside Jaina, but she resisted the urge to snap something back at him.

As he moved deeper into the room, she picked her way over the rubble toward the shelves of gear. She passed the low boxes of small, opaque black vials set next to the tall workstations covered in dust, plant life, and avian droppings. Obsolete technology littered flat surfaces: a pair of ancient dark-vision goggles here, a cracked breathing mask there. She skirted a workstation and started to close the distance to the shelves, hoping to find something they could use.

"I found something."

Jaina turned. She scanned the semi-darkness several times before his shadow shifted independently, and she realized he was crouching near the far wall.

"Of course you did," she mumbled, and began to make her way over to him.

Zekk flashed her a brilliant smile. He was still pushing rubble out of the way, tearing weed-like vines from a hard, molded box. He wiped the grime from the top and sides on his search for handles; when he found them, he gripped solidly and lifted in one fluid motion.

She moved to stand on the other side of the workstation as he opened the seal of the box and lifted the lid out of the way.

Jaina frowned. "Just more glit vials." She couldn't help the disappointment in her tone.

With a mysterious smile, Zekk picked up one of the neatly-packed vials. He twisted open the top and spilled the contents into his palm. The spice glittered in the sunlight.

Grudgingly, Jaina said, "Okay, _full_ glit vials."

Zekk chuckled. He tossed the empty vial behind him, then raised the spice to examine it. There was only a small window of time during which it was potent; once the sparkle went, so did the narcotic properties.

Jaina frowned, watching him. "Is it still good?"

He glanced at her. "As long as it hasn't been exposed to light—and this one is proof that the rest of them probably haven't—it should be fine." He dropped the spice and looked around the room. "There's another box here, it was under this one, and there's another box over a few stations." He looked thoughtful for a moment. "I think we can probably get rid of them on Nar Shaddaa, before we leave the system. They'll be worth something, even if we just sell them in bulk to a local dealer. Or we can hang onto them and offer them to a pharmaceutical manufacturer, but I don't think this is medical quality."

Jaina edged around the table, nodding. She bent to retrieve the second box, and when she stood, Zekk was already on his way out the door.

"Outside," he called, by way of explanation. "In the shade. We'll finish the dorm and temple, then take it all back to the ship."

Since she didn't have a better idea, she offered only silent agreement. She wasn't looking forward to trekking back through the jungle with the spoils of their searches, but she'd rather take it than leave it. Especially with the high value of the glit alone.

Zekk brushed against her on his way back in for the third box. An unexpected thrill shot up her spine, and when she glanced over her shoulder, she saw he'd turned to watch her. She blew him a kiss, then slipped out through the broken door. In the shade of the factory, she left her box with the one he'd already deposited, worrying briefly over leaving them in the sun. She reminded herself that they had survived years in the factory, a few more hours in the shade wouldn't destroy them.

While Zekk brought the last box of glitterstim out, Jaina started for the dorm building.

It took a moment to dislodge the door. Years of neglect and the constant warm, moist temperatures had swollen the hinged door in its frame. Jaina used the Force to augment her body weight as she threw herself into it, forcing it open. Inside, the long hallway was dim and much cooler than it was outside. She propped the door open with a rock she found nearby—she had no desire to find herself locked into the empty dorms. After a quick check to see that Zekk was coming her way, she ducked into the dimness and started down the hall. She wasn't sure what she was looking for. This was his area of expertise, not hers. But she could look_._

Jaina tested the first door. It opened easily, and she stepped inside. It was dimmer still in the tiny room, so she had to fish a disposable glow rod from one of the pockets of her jumpsuit. She could hear Zekk in the hallway, his boots _thunking_ on the solid tile floor as he moved down the hall and deeper into the building. Even his movements sounded purposeful. He knew what he was doing.

Repressing a scowl, idly wondering why she was in such a mood, Jaina swept the glow rod from left to right. She took in the molding cot, the bedside table and small desk covered with a thick later of dirty dust, and the hard, straight chair with black mold creeping up from the legs. It wouldn't have been a bad place to live, she decided. She dropped her hand to her side and closed her eyes. She imagined that this was her room. She imagined being a pilgrim who had run away from home with very little—but there would be at least one treasure among her possessions. A treasure that she would hold dear, that would remind her of good memories from her old life. Where would she put that treasure?

Finally, she moved to the bedside table and crouched. She tugged open the lower drawer, only to find that it was empty. There was something off about the grain of the wood that made the bottom of the drawer, though, and Jaina set her fingers exploring the edges and seams. She found a small half-circle between the drawer bottom and the back, a hole just small enough for the tip of her finger. Slowly, she worked the false bottom up, then set it aside.

Laying there in the true drawer bottom was a long, jeweled necklace.

Surprised at her own luck, Jaina carefully lifted it and held it up to the light of the glow rod. The round gems on the precious metal chain glinted, red and purple and green and blue—rich, vibrant colors that reminded her of the baubles her mother used to wear.

Zekk's voice from the doorway was pleased and proud. "I knew you'd find something."

Jaina jumped and spun, wielding the glow rod like a lightsaber. She hadn't even sensed his approach.

He laughed and stepped back, gesturing down the hallway. "Come on. A lot of the pilgrims left valuables behind."

She tucked the necklace into a pocket on her jumpsuit and gave him a curious look. "How did you know about this place?"

"I listened when your dad talked about working for the Hutts." Zekk winked. "Figured it couldn't hurt to check it out."


	6. Chapter Six

**Title**: Finders, Keepers  
><strong>Chapter: <strong>Chapter Six  
><strong>Author<strong>: bactaqueen  
><strong>Author's e-mail<strong>:  
><strong>Category<strong>: Post-New Jedi Order, Alternate Universe  
><strong>Keywords<strong>: Jaina Solo, Zekk, Alternate Universe  
><strong>Rating<strong>: PG-13  
><strong>Spoilers<strong>: New Jedi Order  
><strong>Summary<strong>: A year after the end of the war with the Yuuzhan Vong, Jaina Solo resigns from her duties as military officer and Jedi, teams up with an old friend, gets a ship, and goes searching for lost treasures.  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: "Star Wars" copyright George Lucas. Characters copyright respective owners. No profit is being made and no infringement is intended.

_**Finders, Keepers: Chapter Six**_

As the _Hunter's Blade_ vectored away from Nar Shaddaa on autopilot, Jaina settled into the padded chair in front of the subspace holographic communications unit, rubbing a thin towel through her damp hair. She was finally clean after scrubbing away the grime of Ylesia and then Nar Shaddaa. Down the corridor behind her, she could hear the sanisteam in Zekk's quarters, and she smiled. Because of him, the first stop on this journey had been a success. They hadn't found anything big in the dormitory or the temple, but the baubles and books would fetch something at auction, and Zekk had wrangled an obscene price for the glitterstim from a dealer on the Smuggler's Moon.

And now, on their way toward the next jump point, there was just enough time to comm her folks. It was nighttime where her parents were on Coruscant, and she had a few minutes to check in with them before she assumed they would retire.

The hologram flickered to life. Princess Leia sat at the console in her bedroom, her long brown hair down around her shoulders, her soft, blue shimmersilk robe sealed up to her neck, and a wide smile on her gracefully lined face. Behind her, hand on her shoulder, Han Solo had squeezed into the picture.

Her dad spoke before her mother even had the chance. "Hey, kiddo. How's Hutt space?"

Jaina smiled to see them both. "Not as bad as I remember it." She settled more comfortably into the chair and went on, "We found some things on Ylesia, at one of the abandoned religious sanctuaries on one of the smaller islands. Zekk sold the glitterstim, but the rest is in the cargo closet."

Worry passed briefly over Leia's face before her expression reflected amused curiosity.

Jaina didn't miss the shift and figured her mother didn't approve of her involvement in the spice trade. "We found a few boxes of the stuff in one of the factories. It's a pretty hot commodity right now, and I didn't want to risk taking it out of the system." To lighten the mood, she added, "Even with the hidden deck compartments."

"You have hidden deck compartments?" Princess Leia's tone indicated she wanted to be surprised but wasn't.

Han's smile suddenly became a lopsided grin, and he squeezed his wife's shoulder. "Of course she does, Princess. She wouldn't be a scoundrel without them." He sobered just enough to let her know a serious question was coming, though when he spoke, his voice betrayed none of his concern. "Where are you headed next?"

"Bimmisaari. Zekk thinks we might find something in the old Tower of Law. Well..." She amended, "...what's _left_ of it."

"Please be careful, Jaina." Leia didn't even try to conceal her concern. "We can't be sure all factions of the Yuuzhan Vong surrendered, and we haven't had any communication with Bimmisaari."

As she nodded, Jaina heard the sanisteam in Zekk's quarters shut off. She glanced absently over her shoulder, then turned her attention back to her parents, eager now to end the call. She flashed them a tight smile, her thoughts suddenly far from reassuring them. "We will. I'll comm in a few days, okay? I love you both." She was already reaching for the control to end the call.

Han grinned. "Love you, too, kiddo."

Leia gave Jaina a very maternal look. "May the Force be with you."

Jaina kept the smile meant for her parents on her face as the image flickered out. Zekk emerged from the corridor half a heartbeat later, hair damp and framing his face, water beading on his skin, wearing nothing but the thin towel secured at his waist. Jaina took her time looking him over.

A distinctly male and knowing smile curved Zekk's mouth. "How're the folks?"

She could have laughed. Instead, she grinned and pushed herself up from the chair. "Good." She crossed to him and pressed close, lifting on tiptoes to offer her lips. Even straining, she wasn't anywhere near his face. "Mom is worried about the spice dealing and Dad is worried we'll get lost in space. Of course."

"Of course." Zekk accepted her invitation. His lips met hers, warm and pliable.

Jaina snaked her arms around his neck and leaned into him. The kiss went on, deepening with each heartbeat, and she thought she might be content to spend forever right there.

She could have punched him when he broke the kiss. Instead, she stole another quick one, then stepped away, smiling up at him. "Why don't you go wait in my cabin while I make the jump to lightspeed?"

Zekk ran his big fingers through her hair, and the smile on his face suggested he liked when she gave the orders. Still, he pretended to admonish, "You can't always order me around, Solo."

Jaina let her gaze settle on his, and through their connection, she showed him exactly what was on her mind. "I don't think you want to argue with me this time."

Face flushed, Zekk made an unmanly choking noise. He nodded once in agreement. "I'll wait."

Unable to help herself, she laughed and patted his chest. Jaina slipped past him, starting down the corridor toward the cockpit. She was as eager as he was to put them into hyperspace and make good use of their travel time... but it was imperative she maintain the illusion of control. "I won't be long."

During the war, the Yuuzhan Vong had captured Bimmisaari and had turned loose their world-forming organic machines. It was a transformed world, an ugly reminder of the war. Jaina stood on flat ground. What used to be the open-air market and Tower of Law now lay hidden beneath wild alien vegetation.

"The Bimms went underground a few years back, tried to fight off the Vong." She looked around, seeing a once-loved world now devoid of those who had loved it. Sadness seemed to squeeze her heart. "I guess they didn't make it."

Zekk brushed her hand with the back of his own, and when Jaina glanced over at him, said softly, "The war is over now. It's okay."

He was wrong. She shook her head. How could he not feel the world had died and something new was in its place? "It's not okay. It's never going to be okay." She had the sudden emotional memory of the war, and it was all she could do to keep it tamped down and keep it from expanding into their connection.

"It will." Zekk unclipped his lightsaber from his belt, then settled the strap of the bag he'd brought to collect what they found across his chest. He met Jaina's eyes and did his best to convey the hope she could feel through the Force. "Someday. You'll see."

It didn't matter that she didn't believe his reassurance. She appreciated it all the same.

As if sensing that, Zekk offered up a half-smile. "Now, how about you follow me with the vibroblade." He turned away from her and lifted his lightsaber, igniting it with the familiar _snap-hiss_ and gesturing in a heroic pose. "I sense tapestries!"

Sweat plastered her hair to her head and neck and caused her jumpsuit to stick to her uncomfortably. She was bent over, using the long, broad vibrating blade of the machete-like tool to hack through the overgrowth to get to the rubble beneath. It had been several hours since they'd set the ship down and begun to work, and so far they'd only located a couple of tapestries with tattered edges and a small bust of a Bimm senator who had been in office in the days before the Emperor had abolished the senate.

"I'm reconsidering this business proposition," Jaina grumbled, almost to herself but half-hoping Zekk would hear. "What was I thinking?"

He heard. The sound of his laughter floated her way on an errant breeze. "It will be worth it, I promise," he called back.

Jaina straightened and turned her glare on him. He was bent over, using his lightsaber as she used her vibroblade, long and lean and just as sweaty as she was. She cocked an eyebrow at him and demanded, "How can you be so sure?"

He didn't even look at her. He just kept cutting, slowly pulling thick clumps of vegetation away from what seemed to be the remains of a crumbled column. But there was a smile in his voice when he spoke. "Are you just being contrary for the fun of it?"

Jaina grumbled something uncomplimentary under her breath as she dropped to her knees and began pawing through the mush of cut and torn ground vines. Her fingers met stone, and she shifted the head-sized blocks of chiseled marble out of the way.

"I am not contrary," she finally said, loud enough for him to hear. But she had a flash of memory from childhood, of Winter's laughing assertion. She grunted. She was too old to be mentally chastised by a former babysitter, wasn't she? "I'm just making sure _you_ know what you're doing."

His only answer was another rough chuckle.

Under the edge of a jagged chunk of Tower marble, Jaina felt softness. It was organic, but it was altered. She made a quiet sound of surprise and exasperation, then began to very carefully pull it up and out, wary of tearing it or making the stains worse.

"How is it possible so many of these escaped destruction?" She _harrumphed_.

"The Force is giving you gifts, and you want to know why." Zekk shook his head in bemused exasperation.

Jaina scowled. He was really getting on her nerves. When had he started acting like such a man? He reminded her of her father. And Kyp. And Jag. And they could all be insufferable-

Zekk's laughter was taunting. "You're not shielding, Jaina."

Careless of her. Her scowl deepened, and she shot back, "I don't remember you being this irritating at the Academy." She lifted from her knees, straightening her aching muscles, and held the tapestry before her. She examined it, then looked beyond it to where Zekk was rising smoothly from a crouch, suddenly looking entirely too cool for her comfort.

He was still chuckling, but now his lightsaber was switched off, and he was moving toward her. "I was _afraid_ of being irritating back at the Academy." He eased the tapestry from her fingers and began to roll it up, to stow it in his bag along with the others.

She was glaring openly now. "If you're not still afraid, clearly I've lost my touch."

The bag hit the ground with an audible _thump_, and then Zekk was close, sliding a big, well-muscled arm around her waist, smirking at her like he had some wonderful secret and she had to guess what it was. "Not at all," he assured her. "You've just gained an entirely new... touch."

She was helpless to resist this, and she knew it. She knew it so well she didn't even try to fight it. She hooked an arm around his neck and looked up into his laughing eyes. He was laughing at her, but she didn't mind, not when he was so close. "But you're not afraid."

He leaned in for a kiss.

She stopped him with a hand on his chest. Now it was her turn to tease. "You think I'm just going to kiss you after you've been so irritating?"

Zekk hesitated. Then mischief flashed in his eyes, and he moved his free hand to the back of her head, holding her in place. A shiver went down her spine; she liked this assertive side of him. Zekk leaned in, closer, closer...

Jaina moved in subtly, waiting for the kiss she knew was coming, letting her eyes drift shut.

Zekk tipped his head, closed the distance between them, and rubbed his sweaty face all over hers.

Shock rendered her immobile. Then Jaina was grunting in exasperation and trying to push him away.

Zekk was having none of it, and the growth spurt that had driven him to a height of two meters had also layered on lean, useful muscle. He continued rubbing his sweat-soaked face against hers and added his sweaty arms to the assault. He was laughing now, and he was winning the wrestling match by virtue of superior brute physical strength.

"Zekk! Gross! Stop!" Jaina shouted, feeling like a kid. Finally—mercifully!—he released her. Jaina threw herself back and stumbled over a chunk of rock, falling flat on her backside. The air rushed out of her lungs, and she found herself struggling for breath.

His mercy was short-lived. A moment later, he landed atop her, effectively pinning her to the soft ground, and from the look on his face, thoroughly enjoying the way she squirmed beneath him. He was still chuckling as the direction of his attack changed, and instead of rubbing his sweat all over her, he was kissing her. Light, delicate kisses on her lips, cheeks, and chin. He found her fingers, linked them with his own, and eased her arms over her head.

With lingering kisses to her neck, he murmured, "Still want me to stop?"

"Damn it, Zekk."

Laughter rumbled in his chest as he held both of her wrists with one of his hands and then began to unseal the neck of her jumpsuit. "I'm taking that as a 'no.'"

Jaina hugged her knees to her chest and pushed her hair out of her face. She glared down at Zekk, almost hating the flush on his skin and the satisfaction in his smile and in his eyes. "You did that on _purpose_."

He smirked lazily. "Well, it wasn't an accident."

She glanced down at her hastily-donned jumpsuit, unsealed to her navel, with the mud ground in to the knees and along the arms, then looked back at him. "Is this how you're going to handle it every time I call you out on your less-attractive qualities?"

Zekk pushed himself up on an elbow and dropped a chaste kiss on her bare collarbone. "It's a thought," he murmured, running fingers down her arm.

A shiver of pleasure worked down her spine and the irritation she felt melted out of her. She pursed her lips. "Well, it's not the _worst_ idea you've ever had."


	7. Chapter Seven

**Title**: Finders, Keepers  
><strong>Chapter: <strong>Chapter Seven  
><strong>Author<strong>: bactaqueen  
><strong>Author's e-mail<strong>:  
><strong>Category<strong>: Post-New Jedi Order, Alternate Universe  
><strong>Keywords<strong>: Jaina Solo, Zekk, Alternate Universe  
><strong>Rating<strong>: PG-13  
><strong>Spoilers<strong>: New Jedi Order  
><strong>Summary<strong>: A year after the end of the war with the Yuuzhan Vong, Jaina Solo resigns from her duties as military officer and Jedi, teams up with an old friend, gets a ship, and goes searching for lost treasures.  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: "Star Wars" copyright George Lucas. Characters copyright respective owners. No profit is being made and no infringement is intended.

_**Finders, Keepers: Chapter Seven**_

Alone in the cockpit as the _Hunter's Blade_ orbited above Bimmisaari, Zekk reviewed the course calculations for a jump through the Roche Asteroid Field and then to Phindar before they would finally arrive at Dathomir. The Force was calling him there, just as it had called him to Bimmisaari, just as it had called him to that dealer on Nar Shaddaa, just as it had called him to Ylesia. Even before he had known it was the Force, he had never ignored those calls. Now, he was sensing something at Dathomir, something important.

Closer, though, the Force was telling him Jaina was in the cargo hold, securing the tapestries and busts, and doing her best to avoid him.

He smiled to himself at the memory of their surface excursion. She had been so irritated with him. He knew what it was, even if she didn't: restlessness. After five years of war, constant danger, she was having trouble adjusting to the lack of adrenaline. Their interlude had been his attempt to help with that. The series of jumps to Dathomir would give him more chances.

Jaina's arrival and subsequent disbelieving, "Dathomir?" came as no surprise to him.

He glanced up at her, offered a smile, then went back to plotting their route and verifying his hyperspace calculations.

Sighing loudly, Jaina ran a hand through her hair and dropped into the co-pilot's seat. "What's on Dathomir? Are you missing a Force-witch ex-girlfriend?" She sounded annoyed and nearly petulant.

It was almost endearing. Almost. Unable to resist baiting her, he said, "Actually, I thought we could get you one of those lizard-hide outfits like Tenel Ka used to wear."

Jaina snorted. "I don't know what's gotten into you, laser brains, but I think I liked you better before you decided to become an even bigger pain in my ass."

He feigned an apologetic look and injected contrition into his voice. "I'm sorry about that. I promise to be more careful next time."

It took a moment for Jaina to understand what he was saying; spots of color appeared on her cheeks and her eyes flashed as soon as she got it. "Why you-"

He gave her his most insufferable grin. "Save it, and I'll let you give me a beating once we make the jump to lightspeed."

Jaina eyed him. She was still blushing, but there was curiosity on her face. "Sparring?" Apparently, she wasn't taking any chances.

Zekk stifled a laugh. "Hand-to-hand," he promised, then added, "I don't want you coming near me with a lightsaber right now."

"You're smarter than you look." For a moment, her expression was skeptic, then she nodded. "All right. So what's really on Dathomir?"

He turned back to the navicomp and input the course. "The _Chu'unthor_."

Jaina frowned, and he could hear it in her voice when she pointed out, "Uncle Luke already got the holocron from the witches."

He nodded absently, eyes scanning the screen to be sure he entered the calculations correctly. "I know. But..." He hesitated. Dathomir was calling to him. He couldn't explain it beyond that, not without talking about the Force, and he didn't think she would be interested in that particular discussion. He settled for, "There's something else there, I think." He shrugged.

"Like how you knew we'd find the glit and the tapestries?"

A smile quirked the corner of his mouth. "Yeah."

"Fair enough." She leaned forward and peered at the screen over his shoulder. "Why are we dropping out so close to the Roche Asteroid field?"

"It's the most efficient course," he lied. In truth, he had them dropping out of the asteroid field in order to give her a chance to blow off some of that excess energy by flying them through it for the fun of it.

She was satisfied with his lie, however, and stood. "All right. Hurry up and get us into hyperspace." She started for the cockpit exit.

"You're not going to help?"

"No." She shot him a smirk.

Confused—he'd never known Jaina to miss a hyperspace jump if she could help it—he asked, "Where are you going?"

Her smirk became a wicked grin. "To warm up."

Jaina stood at the edge of the tar pit and stared into the bubbling surface. Dathomir was more temperate than Ylesia had been, which was a welcome relief. Zekk stood silently beside her, and when Jaina stole looks, she saw that his eyes were closed. He looked almost serene. Through the Force, she could feel him focused, searching for something.

She turned back to the pit and let her mind drift as her eyes moved up to take in the landscape beyond. She thought of her parents' stories, especially her dad's, about this place, and she thought of Luke's recollections. It made her smile. She thought of Tenel Ka and that warrior girl's affinity for her mother's culture. A lot of lessons at the Academy had come from the holocron Luke had found here.

Jaina reached out with her feelings through the Force. She could sense life all around her—the world was teeming with it. As she slowly came back to herself, she became more and more aware of Zekk beside her and his fierce concentration on the _Chu'unthor._

She frowned. "You're not going to try to lift that thing out of the tar pit, are you?" Sure, they'd turned dovin basals in on themselves and sucked entire ships into small black holes, but lifting an ancient school out of a tar pit seemed a bit much even for them.

Zekk took a deep breath. "I don't know what we'd do with it afterward, so no."

It took her a moment to realize he was serious. Her frown deepened as she sensed he was holding something back. "Is that the only reason?"

He frowned and his eyes softened, and he seemed thoughtful. "It's been down there for nearly four hundred years," he pointed out. He glanced at her, then looked back at the tar pit. "If it was meant to be out, it would have been."

"You sound like Jacen." She was unable to keep the disdain out of her voice.

Zekk smiled. "Even though I know you're going to hit me for this, sometimes your brother is right."

Jaina punched him in the shoulder, not as hard as she could have, but hard enough to let him know she did not appreciate the sentiment.

He winced obligingly. "Ouch."

Sighing, Jaina felt herself growing twitchy, getting impatient. That jaunt through the asteroids had given her the rush of adrenaline she was craving, but it hadn't been enough. Now, here they were again, standing on an alien planet, just standing. She wanted to _do_ something, and she wanted to do something specific and useful. "So what are we doing here, then?"

Zekk took a step back and turned his head, taking in the panorama. "Do you notice anything odd about this landscape?"

Tamping down her impatience, Jaina scanned their surroundings once more. "It hasn't been Vong-formed?"

Graciously, he ignored her snark. "The ship didn't crash straight down into the tar pit. It just doesn't make sense. When you crash a ship-"

"I don't crash," she announced.

The look he gave her could have melted durasteel. Jaina clamped her mouth shut. Zekk was being very, very patient with her. She needed to remember that.

"When you crash a ship," he went on, "there's usually a trail of debris."

Jaina took a moment to consider this, thinking back over the ship crashes she'd seen. She then ventured, "So? That just means sensor dishes and bits of hull fall off. Survivors don't stick close to the debris," she pointed out. "They're hot from atmospheric re-entry. They start fires." She looked again at their surroundings as if seeing them with new eyes. "The Jedi were allowed to leave. What wouldn't they have taken with them? If it was important enough to rescue from the ship, wouldn't it be important enough to take off-world?"

"Maybe," he conceded. "If they survived."

Confused, she admitted, "I don't follow."

He sighed, trying to stifle it and failing miserably. "We're standing in the crash line, Jaina. The _Chu'unthor_ crashed from behind us. There is something here, something valuable, something important, something that has gone unnoticed. I can feel it. We just have to find it."

Skepticism rose up in her, and impatience threatened, but that was the most detailed explanation of his logic he had given her, so she kept her thoughts to herself and said, "Okay." She looked around, then started off, tossing over her shoulder, "I'll take the west bank and meet you on the far side, then."

He was nuts. Crazy. Out of his mind. Jaina tramped through the undergrowth, fully open to the Force and all senses finely attuned to her surroundings, her eyes scanning slowly over the ground she walked. Whatever it was he 'felt' had been out here for nearly four centuries. It was long enough for it, whatever _it_ was, to be buried, or overgrown, or decomposed, or even picked up and carried away. Whatever remained wouldn't be littering the surface. The _Chu'unthor_ crash site was not a place for a couple of treasure-seeking Jedi. It was a place for a team of highly-trained xenoarchaeologists.

Across the tar pit, the crazy man himself was wading through the knee-deep grasses and low shrubs, eyes glued to the ground. In the wind, some of his hair had worked loose from the thong and stuck to the sweat on his neck. He had shed the Jedi robes at the edge of the pit and worked now in the tunic and pants, lightsaber swinging from his belt. He looked good.

And he was insane.

The heat and frustration were getting to her. This was never going to work if she was annoyed every time they went searching for something. She had to trust Zekk and—she admitted this only grudgingly—she had to trust the Force. Jaina stopped where she was and straightened up. She raised her face to the sun and closed her eyes, focusing on her breathing and on the Force flowing through her and around her. She imagined her irritation dissipating into the atmosphere. She imagined the Force replacing that irritation with cool, calm patience.

It was a start.

Finally, feeling clearer-headed and more relaxed, she opened her eyes and lowered her head.

Something glittered.

After a quick glance Zekk's way, she took the few steps farther away from the edge of the tar pit and dropped to a crouch. She brushed aside the dead grass. There, laying in the dirt, was a small Corusca gem, round and worn smooth by sun and wind and rain.

Jaina frowned.

She looked up when a shadow passed over her and noticed the wide-reaching branches of the ancient tree situated a few meters away. When in full bloom, the tree would provide excellent cover for this ground area—which probably accounted for the patches of crushed grass that looked like game nests.

Curious now, Jaina looked back down. She scanned the ground as she fingered the Corusca gem, searching for...

_'That.'_

She didn't know it until she saw it, but when she saw it, she knew it was what she was looking for. Jaina moved the meter or so forward and cleared the dried grass and rotting leaves away from the fist-sized rodent hole.

There was a sense of life in it, but it was only residual life; the hole led down into a burrow for a small rodent family, now gone. There was no threat of danger, so Jaina dropped to her knees and tucked the Corusca gem into one of the pouches of her belt. From a thigh pocket on her jumpsuit, she fished out a small shovel.

The dirt was soft. Jaina worked slowly, turning over shovelfuls, then using her fingers as a screen for clods. Most lumps fell apart.

A soft curse escaped her when the first clod failed to fall apart and she used a thumb to brush the dirt off of a krayt dragon pearl. She forgot to breathe when the next handful turned up kathracite, relacite, and danite. Suddenly, Zekk's insistence that Dathomir held secrets didn't seem so crazy. Jaina kept digging, and almost every shovelful turned up lightsaber focusing jewels: a few pontite crystals, a dragite crystal, lava crystals, and more that Jaina didn't have names for but instinctively knew would contribute to powerful weapons.

A shadow moved over her, independent of the spindly ones cast by the branches. She looked up into Zekk's grinning face.

"I love it when I'm right."

Back on the ship, Jaina had the cache of lightsaber crystals cleaned and laid out on the hologame table in the lounge. She stood beside the table, staring down at the assortment, shaking her head slowly, trying to remember to keep her mouth from gaping.

"I can't believe it."

Zekk fingered an emerald-green stone large enough to make the two necessary for a lightsaber's focus. A faint smile turned up the corners of his mouth. "It makes sense," he pointed out. "It was a training academy, so of course they'd need a store of crystals on hand."

Jaina shook her head emphatically. "Krayt dragon pearls? Rainbow gems? I don't even have a _rough estimate_ of how much these might be worth."

His grin was quick, pure joy. "Look at it this way: we could retire right now if we wanted to."

She could only reel in quiet shock. He was right. There was a lifetime's fortune laid out on the table. It was not the treasure she had expected. It wasn't even the treasure she had hoped for. When she had come up with the business plan, she had hoped that they would find enough to keep themselves in business, and she had assumed they would have to supplement any income garnered from their finds with hauling freight, smuggling, and possibly even body-guarding. Not once had it ever crossed her mind that they might be set for life with a single find... and now they were.

Nearby, the holocomm signaled an urgent incoming message. Shaken, saved from the shock, Jaina moved to the comm unit and activated the screen.

Immediately, Leia Organa's face materialized. Though miniaturized, she looked older than Jaina remembered, and the younger woman realized it was probably the worry and concern on her face that had aged her.

Before Jaina could even utter a greeting, Leia spoke.

"Where are you?"

Jaina caught a ripple of danger through the Force and said, "Dathomir." She frowned. "Why?"

Leia nodded, as if her suspicions had been confirmed. Her face moved forward, and Jaina realized that she must have been using the console that was out of frame. "You're closer than we are. The Chiss ambassador was attacked on his way to Hapes. We think it was pirates, but we can't be sure. His flagship is dead in space, and we lost comm contact two hours ago. We can't get a fleet there as quickly as you could get there. We need your help."

"The Chiss ambassador?" Icy fingers had closed around Jaina's heart.

Zekk moved up behind Jaina and surreptitiously laid a hand on her shoulder. "You mean Jag Fel."

Leia's glance moved to something off-screen, and she seemed to be waiting for confirmation. She said, "We're transmitting coordinates from the last distress signal. Please retrieve him and deliver him safely to Hapes."


	8. Chapter Eight

**Title**: Finders, Keepers  
><strong>Chapter: <strong>Chapter Eight  
><strong>Author<strong>: bactaqueen  
><strong>Author's e-mail<strong>:  
><strong>Category<strong>: Post-New Jedi Order, Alternate Universe  
><strong>Keywords<strong>: Jaina Solo, Zekk, Alternate Universe  
><strong>Rating<strong>: PG-13  
><strong>Spoilers<strong>: New Jedi Order  
><strong>Summary<strong>: A year after the end of the war with the Yuuzhan Vong, Jaina Solo resigns from her duties as military officer and Jedi, teams up with an old friend, gets a ship, and goes searching for lost treasures.  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: "Star Wars" copyright George Lucas. Characters copyright respective owners. No profit is being made and no infringement is intended.

_**Finders, Keepers: Chapter Eight**_

Jaina had strapped herself into the pilot's couch half an hour before the _Hunter's Blade_ had reverted to realspace. Beside her, Zekk was settled into the co-pilot's seat, prepared to bring up their sensors. She was as tense and focused as she always was before a dogfight. She wasn't sure what to expect, but she wanted to be prepared.

The instant the ship dropped from hyperspace between Gala and the Perlemian Trade Route, Jaina brought the shields up to full and began visually scanning space around them. Her fingers tightened on the grips of the steering yoke and her heart dropped. She didn't see anything.

After a moment of watching the readouts, Zekk announced, "The only thing on our sensors is a disabled Clawcraft."

Jaina glanced sharply at her own sensor screen. "Mom said it was a flagship."

Zekk pointed toward the viewport. Jaina finally saw the glinting debris spinning in the void; she had mistaken it for distant stars.

"I think it was."

Her heart suddenly tried to climb out through her mouth. She swallowed past it, and forced herself to loosen her grip on the control column. She couldn't pilot if her fingers were locked. "I hope we aren't too late."

Zekk said nothing, a silence Jaina pretended didn't speak volumes.

Jaina kept one eye on the sensors as she brought the _Blade_ around toward the damaged Clawcraft. She saw nothing-no unexplained red blips, no unusual movement. She sensed nothing-no danger, not even Jag. That worried her.

When they were close enough, she toggled the comm and made a general subspace broadcast across several standard channels. "Chiss Defense, this is—" She hesitated. She was no longer a lieutenant colonel. She was no longer a Jedi. She hadn't given any thought to the title she would use and hesitating was wasting time. Biting off a sigh, she pressed on, "—Captain Solo in _Hunter's Blade_, civilian freighter associated with the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances. Do you copy?"

She held her breath for what felt like a lifetime, waiting, before the comm crackled to life and Jagged Fel's voice came through sounding strained. "I copy, Captain Solo. This is Ambassador Fel. My Clawcraft is disabled, and I only have seven minutes left of life support. I request immediate rescue."

Relieved, Jaina responded immediately, "Copy that, Ambassador. Stand by." She turned to Zekk. "Can we use the tractor beam?"

His expression was grim and he didn't look at her as his fingers flew over the controls to perform a quick check of their recovery equipment. Finally, he nodded. "We can use the tractor beam to bring him in if he ejects."

"He can't eject where he is, the debris will slice him up."

She didn't need the Force to read Zekk's next thought, but he kept it to himself. All he said was, "We can tow him out of the debris field, then he can eject."

Jaina frowned. It wasn't the plan that bothered her, it was the coldness in Zekk. She knew him well enough to know that his insecurity had caused him to withdraw into himself. He had already assumed that Jag's reappearance was his cue to retreat. She reached over and laid a hand over one of his, briefly, squeezing his fingers. There was no time for further reassurance, but she resolved to make time later. She activated the comm and relayed their plan to Jag.

"Are you injured? Is your flightsuit compromised?"

"Negative, Captain. I will survive long enough for EV retrieval."

"Stand by." Jaina then glanced at Zekk and offered a weak smile. "He's not exactly the cargo I was envisioning..."

Zekk said nothing.

Once the sensors indicated that the cargo hold was pressurized, Jaina left Zekk to pilot them out of the system and set a course for the Hapes cluster and went to collect their guest. She made her way slowly from the cockpit to the number two cargo hold, a knot of emotion like lead in her stomach, her hands clammy. She had known this meeting would have to happen. She just hadn't expected it so soon.

Jaina slapped the panel on the bulkhead, took a deep breath, and stepped through the entryway as the blast door slid up. Jag was there in the center of the hold, tugging his flight gloves off to drop them in his inverted helmet on the deck at his feet. He looked up when she entered and his lips curved briefly in that small, private smile he always had for her.

Jaina smiled back as her heart seized up and she felt the hollowness of her own emotions. "Quite a fix you got yourself into."

Jag shook his head, ran his fingers through his hair, and revealed a crack in his normally perfect composure. "We were pulled out of hyperspace by an artificial gravity well. Pirates. This is a diplomatic mission of peace, and our route was specifically chosen for safety. We just weren't prepared." He shuddered. "My whole contingent is gone."

Unsure of what to say, Jaina kept her mouth shut.

Finally, Jag stood up straight and looked Jaina over. Relief rippled through him and he took a few steps toward her. "I'm glad it's you." He started to raise his arms.

Jaina stopped his hug, feeling ice spreading through her chest.

Confusion flared briefly in his green eyes. "I got your message. You didn't meet me on Mon Calamari, and your mother mentioned this venture. I tried to contact you—"

"I didn't want to be contacted."

Understanding changed his expression into a careful, impassive mask. "I see."

Apologies welled up inside her, but she didn't know what to say or even how to say it. She felt she owed him. She just wasn't sure what.

When he spoke next, his voice was controlled. "I am part of the life you left behind."

Though he barely showed it, Jaina could sense the hurt there. "I could have handled it better—" she acknowledged.

"Yes, you could have." He stood taller, straightened his uniform. "Thank you for coming for me."

Jaina turned around, carefully maintaining her expression. She had known this would be awkward, uncomfortable, even painful. She was sorry she'd hurt him, sorry she hadn't ended things the right way, but she knew she'd done the right thing. For them both. She gestured, waving him to follow her as she started for the blast door. "Come on. Zekk's jumping us, so I'll check you out in our med bay. Then you can eat and get some rest."

All business, Jag told her, "I need to check in with the Chiss Ascendancy."

She tossed him a sad, knowing smile over her shoulder. "I broadcast the all-clear, our intention for an immediate jump to Hapes, and our course before I left the cockpit. You have a big meeting ahead of you, Ambassador. Food and rest are probably much better ideas."

Jag inclined his head. "As always, any resistance on my part is useless. Lead the way, Captain."

Zekk stood at the synth unit as he prepared the meal, watching Jaina from the corner of his eye. He was tense, with worry niggling at the back of his mind since Jag was on board; he tried to hide his feelings but couldn't tell if he was succeeding. Jaina wasn't reacting to him. In fact, Jaina wasn't reacting to anything. Zekk knew she hadn't ended things with Jag before she'd run off with him, but he didn't know what had happened in the cargo hold. He hadn't asked, and she hadn't volunteered any information, and if he was honest with himself, not knowing was getting to him. He could have reached out through the Force, but shielding his feelings meant that she was lost to him that way.

Jaina scooped the last of the lightsaber crystals into the soft pouch she held and tied it shut. She looked up at him. A smile curved her lips.

"I'd tell you to stop brooding, but it's very becoming."

Zekk bristled. "I'm not brooding."

As she moved from the lounge area toward the secure storage, she passed close and ran her hand from his shoulder to his hip along his back. Her touch was warm and meant to be reassuring, but Zekk didn't feel reassured.

"Yes, you are."

Zekk sighed and fidgeted with the utensils on the counter in front of him. "Your boyfriend is naked on our ship. I think I'm allowed to brood." There. He said it. He looked over at her.

Her eyes widened in an expression of mock-shock. "Are you using the Force to make me believe you're dressed?" She _tsk_ed. "Uncle Luke would not approve."

Zekk blinked rapidly.

Jaina was still shaking her head as she disappeared down the corridor toward the storage units.

Alone, Zekk sighed again, annoyed with his own insecurity and annoyed with himself for giving in and being her distraction. Lost in those thoughts, brooding—yes, all right, he was brooding—over the feelings he'd harbored for her since childhood and wishing he could just get over them already, he didn't sense Jag exit his temporary quarters and emerge into the lounge area.

"Is that the meal?"

Startled, Zekk looked up. Jag was standing a few meters away, fully dressed in a fresh black flightsuit, close-cropped hair still damp from the sanisteam. He felt a brief surge of jealousy.

"Yeah," he mumbled, turning back to the unit and realizing that the food was ready. "Take a seat, it'll be ready in a few."

Jag complied.

Zekk stalled, waiting for Jaina to return. When it became clear she had no intention of joining them, he began to wonder where she'd hidden herself as he served the rice, vegetables, and meat caught fresh on Dathomir into two bowls. He left another bowl on the counter and put the food back into the unit for easy re-heating later, then carried the steaming meals and utensils for himself and Jag to the table. He didn't look at the man waiting for him as he set everything down, simply turned around and went back to open the dry storage cabinets for strong wine and undignified tumblers. If Jaina was going to leave him alone with Jagged Fel, he was going to need liquid reinforcement, and he was willing to bet Jag did, too.

"Hope you're not on duty." Zekk set the bottle down with a solid _thunk_ and slid into the booth.

There was something akin to relief on Jag's face, softening his features fractionally. "Not until we get to Hapes."

Zekk popped the cork on the fat-bottomed bottle and poured generously for both men. When he re-sealed the bottle and set it aside and raised his tumbler in a silent salute, Jag touched his rim to Zekk's.

He then promptly drained half of his cup.

Zekk followed his example.

He felt immediately warmer, more confident. "It's not Whyren's Reserve, but it will do."

Jag nodded, digging into his meal. They ate in silence for a few moments before he broke it. "Jaina told me what the two of you have been up to."

Despite himself, panic rose in Zekk and he looked wildly across the table.

Jag met his eyes and it seemed he had learned all he needed to know. Looking back to his meal, he clarified, "With the ship. This treasure-hunting." Silence stretched again before he said softly, "Kriff it," and raised his head. He met Zekk's eyes with a hard challenging stare. "She told me I'm no longer part of her life."

Zekk thought about his response.

Jag didn't give him the chance to speak it and went on, "She was supposed to meet me on Mon Cal. When she didn't, I guessed she was running. She does that," he added, as if imparting some great wisdom.

Zekk snorted. "She does," he agreed.

A ripple of sensation came through the Force, letting Zekk know that Jag was mildly annoyed with that agreement. Still, physically composed, Jag went on, "Princess Leia told me she was out, resigned her responsibilities, started a new career. I didn't understand why that couldn't include me." Anger flared in his eyes, so brief that it probably would have gone unnoticed had he not been staring so frankly at Zekk. "Now I do."

"I didn't steal her, if that's what you're thinking."

Jag dismissed that thought. "Jaina can't be stolen, certainly not by you." His eyes were hard again. "But you did know about us, and you didn't stop her."

Zekk countered, "Her relationship with you is none of my business. You made that very clear. No one 'stops' Jaina from doing anything. Not me, and not even you."

"She is susceptible to certain forms of persuasion." Jag's shoulders tensed. "I knew blocking you from Twin Suns was the right thing to do. I didn't realize how right it was until she cut me out of her life."

Now Zekk was annoyed. "She's not something you can control, even with your 'certain forms of persuasion.' I'm surprised you lasted as long as you did with that attitude." He felt a sudden surge of pity, too, because he knew how Jag felt. He knew how it felt to be discarded by Jaina. He suspected Jag wasn't used to losing, and he suspected that losing to a street urchin—even if he was a Jedi, and understood things about Jaina that he never would—stung like a blaster bolt. He swallowed past the rest of his anger and offered, "Do you want me to apologize?"

"I do not want or need your apologies. Regret means nothing. What's done is done."

Zekk frowned. "Then what do you want from me?"

The fire went suddenly out of Jag's eyes and his shoulders slumped just a little. "I'd like to beat you to a bloody pulp and reclaim the woman I... care for."

Zekk's answering smile was sardonic. "That's the Corellian in you talking."

"Yes." Jag studied Zekk, now with more curiosity than anger. "You're making it very difficult to be righteous."

"You're handling it much better than I would," Zekk said, shrugging.

A thought seemed to occur to Jag. "Han doesn't know about your current arrangement, does he?"

Pain and panic flared within Zekk. "Maybe. I'm not sure."

Jag nodded thoughtfully. "I am scheduled to meet with the princess. I doubt Jaina will tell her parents, so I will have the pleasure of telling Han myself."

At a loss, Zekk merely stared dumbfounded for several long moments, watching Jag eat, watching the calm suddenly settle within him.

"That's... really evil of you."

Jag met his eyes, briefly, significantly. "Perhaps it will be a lesson to you, Jedi."


	9. Chapter Nine

**Title**: Finders, Keepers  
><strong>Chapter: <strong>Chapter Nine  
><strong>Author<strong>: bactaqueen  
><strong>Author's e-mail<strong>:  
><strong>Category<strong>: Post-New Jedi Order, Alternate Universe  
><strong>Keywords<strong>: Jaina Solo, Zekk, Alternate Universe  
><strong>Rating<strong>: PG-13  
><strong>Spoilers<strong>: New Jedi Order  
><strong>Summary<strong>: A year after the end of the war with the Yuuzhan Vong, Jaina Solo resigns from her duties as military officer and Jedi, teams up with an old friend, gets a ship, and goes searching for lost treasures.  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: "Star Wars" copyright George Lucas. Characters copyright respective owners. No profit is being made and no infringement is intended.

_**Finders, Keepers: Chapter Nine**_

Below and ahead through the viewport, Jaina could see the Fountain Palace perched high on the basalt crag overlooking the Hapan capital city of Ta'aChume'Dan. She was always surprised by the sheer size and opulence of the palace and of the city. Her mother may have been the princess of a dead world and a New Republic leader, but Jaina could not take anything as grand and impressive as the Fountain Palace for granted.

Jaina brought the _Hunter's Blade_ around in a long arc, intending their destination to be one of the large public spaceports in the city at a middle distance between the palace and the outskirts. Zekk was strapped into the co-pilot's seat beside her, monitoring various sensor screens and comm channels, and Jag had settled into the navigator's chair behind him, observing quietly. There had been an almost unbearable tension in the atmosphere of the ship since they had retrieved Jag, and Jaina was eager to set the ship down as soon as possible to escape it.

Just as she was about to ask Zekk to hail spaceport traffic control and request landing clearance, the comm unit crackled to life.

"Where do you think you're going?"

She blinked at the comm, surprised by the voice. "Jacen?" When she reached out through the Force, his presence was unmistakable. She hadn't sensed him because she hadn't been looking for him; he was supposed to be off on a journey of Force-discovery.

Amusement tinged his Force presence and his voice, as if he knew he had surprised her and was enjoying the fact. "Bring around that mess you're flying. Ten—ah, the Queen Mother wants you to use the Royal Hangar."

Still stuck on the surprise at hearing her brother's voice, Jaina ignored his instructions and demanded, "What are you doing here?"

A short, sharp burst of static let her know Jacen had laughed. He had a secret—Jaina knew it. She sent him a silent questioning feeling, and got only amusement and mystery in return.

"Just follow the landing beacon. We're waiting for you."

The comm died just as the _Blade_'s sensors picked up the secure tight-beam landing beacon that would direct them to the Royal Hangar. Deftly, she swung the ship to starboard and lined up the bow on the correct heading, all the while pondering Jacen's projection of mystery. What could her brother possibly be hiding?

It was only Zekk's quiet chuckle that reminded her she wasn't alone.

She cut her eyes at him. "What's so funny?"

He shot her a smile that was so much like the ones he'd given her when they were kids. "I hope Lowbacca is here. It'll be just like old times."

As the rescued ambassador, and political and personal friend of the Queen Mother, Jag exited the ship and was met by the Queen and her retinue first. Zekk and Jaina followed at a discreet distance, awaiting their turn, and Jaina watched the formal greetings with a careful eye. Jag still didn't look entirely comfortable with his role as an ambassador, but she knew she was the only one in the hangar who would see that. Friend, however, was something Jag knew very well. Tenel Ka's second-in-command and half of the royal honor guard escorted Jag through a blast doorway and into the palace, and Jaina avoided his eyes when he looked back. She knew she owed him answers, better answers than she had given in the cargo hold, but she wasn't ready to give them yet. She didn't know if she ever would be.

As soon as her boots touched hangar deck, Jaina was immediately swept into Jacen's arms. She held her brother tightly, glad to see him again and glad that he was safe, but she could sense a change in him. Jacen had news. Big news.

"What's going on?" she demanded when he pulled away.

Jacen only gave her that boyish version of their father's grin and stepped aside to greet Zekk.

Jaina turned and came face-to-face with Tenel Ka. Her gray eyes shone with light and mild amusement, as if she, too, had Big News. Jaina was suddenly certain that whatever her brother and friend were hiding, they were hiding it together.

"Jaina." Tenel Ka enfolded Jaina in a one-armed hug that didn't feel quite right and said softly, so only Jaina could hear, "Sister."

Jaina's arms tightened reflexively as shock rolled through her, and she arched her neck to look at Tenel Ka without releasing her. "Sister?"

The only thing that could have meant was, in fact, exactly what it meant.

They were gathered in the opulent Queen's Drawing Room and were seated comfortably on antique brocade couches. Servers had brought in light refreshments—caf and stimtea, finger-sized sandwiches, chunks of fruit served in fine crystal bowls and drizzled with honey—and had disappeared as though they were little more than apparitions. The four of them were alone now, and Jacen and Tenel Ka had just shared the news Jaina had sensed in the hangar.

She carefully lowered her cup of caf, very glad she had hesitated in taking that much-desired sip, and stared openly at her brother and her childhood friend. They were seated close together on the sofa across from her, their fingers linked and resting on Tenel Ka's knee. It was one of those small intimacies that led credence to what they'd just revealed, but Jaina still wasn't sure she believed it.

"What?"

Jacen's grin widened. At the moment, he looked so much like their father: roguish, impish, confident, and absolutely happy. "You heard us."

"But you can't be serious!"

Tenel Ka radiated cool amusement. She arched one fine, red brow. "Why not?"

At a loss, Jaina sputtered, "Because—you just—you're not—"

The Queen's clear gray eyes glittered with amusement and the pleasure of a private, happy secret. "Among my mother's people, Jacen is already my husband. We simply wish to make it legal in Hapan society so that the daughter I am carrying—"

Fresh shock widened Jaina's eyes and nearly caused her to spill the steaming caf all over her rumpled flightsuit, the brocade couch, and the plush carpet. "What?"

Beside her, relaxed into the welcoming curve of the couch, Zekk laughed out loud.

It might have been the first time Tenel Ka had ever truly smiled outright, at least to anyone who wasn't Jacen Solo. She turned from Jaina to Jacen and said, "You were correct. I cannot imagine this would have been as much fun over the holocomm."

Impulsively, Jacen raised his new wife's hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles. He grinned. "She's taking it better than I thought she would."

As they shared a private look, Jaina took the opportunity to suck in a few deep, calming breaths and center herself. Her brain was still trying to process all of the information. Of course she had expected this—eventually. When Jacen had said he would spend time learning as much about the Force as possible, she had thought it would take longer than a few months, and she thought he would have come back to the Order to rebuild, take missions, train younglings... It just seemed sudden to her, and that was the concern she raised. The war had only been over for a year. Tenel Ka was a new queen, and Hapes was in the middle of some delicate political maneuverings within the GA. Jacen was... Jacen. He was Jacen. Jaina was having a hard time with the concept of her goofy, animal-loving brother as a husband and a father.

Jacen shook his head sadly. "You're just grasping for excuses now, Jaina."

Zekk's voice was pure indulgent amusement. "Maybe she needs some time to get used to the idea."

Jaina shot him a glare. "I don't need time," she insisted, and even she could hear the lie in her voice. She winced, then sighed. "Wow." If she thought about it, even for just a moment, Jacen and Tenel Ka wasn't any more sudden or crazy than her resignation from the GA and the Jedi Order. It wasn't any crazier than buying a ship with her own childhood sweetheart and setting off across the galaxy to collect lost treasure.

"Indeed." Tenel Ka was watching her carefully, regal and beautiful and very, very still.

Jaina met her eyes. "Sisters." A thought occurred to her, and she laughed out loud. "I'm going to be an aunt!"

Tenel Ka inclined her head. The gesture of acknowledgment was distinctly regal.

"I'm going to have a _sister_. I'm going to be an _aunt_."

Jacen nodded. Tenel Ka looked at her.

The reality of it set in, and Jaina swore.

At the Queen Mother's request, Zekk and Jaina remained in the Palace. They were given quarters usually reserved for lesser foreign dignitaries, close enough to the Queen's own chambers to make the wedding planning easy for Jaina to attend, but far enough away to make avoiding Jag Fel and his recently-arrived diplomatic corps contingent easy. Zekk suspected Jacen had something to do with their suites being adjoined; the younger man was so happy with the new developments in his life that he seemed determined to make sure everyone around him had his or her own happiness.

Zekk stole away to the garden one afternoon, overwhelmed by the family togetherness and the hectic wedding planning. He was incredibly happy for his friends, but this was a distinctly family event, and he still felt uncomfortably like an outsider.

Besides that, Leia and Han Solo had arrived that morning. Zekk wasn't anxious to find out if Jag had made good on his threat and spoken to Han. He wanted to make himself scarce until the Solo family had reunited and new developments had been discussed all around.

He sat on a bench deep within the garden, eyes closed, breathing deliberately. He was thrilled for Jacen and Tenel Ka; they were making their future, creating a new life together in all senses of the phrase, claiming happiness after the destruction of the war. But he felt the pang of sadness that he had not been so fortunate.

He did have Jaina, and they had the ship, and together they had the means and the opportunity to play to their strengths. He just wished he wasn't so aware of how fleeting the situation was, sspecially with that cache of lightsaber crystals stowed away. They could split the profits now, and Jaina could walk away, and it would all be over. She had walked away from him before. He knew she could do it again. He envied Jacen and Tenel Ka for the commitment they were making.

As he meditated on those feelings and explored those thoughts, he kept himself from sinking too deep. He wasn't so far gone that he didn't sense the Force disturbance that marked the arrival of someone familiar and intimidating. Zekk opened his eyes and stood up, steeling himself.

Han Solo didn't need any mystical mumbo-jumbo to project his presence. And he certainly didn't need the blaster strapped to his thigh to intimidate any of Jaina's fresh boyfriends.

Zekk waited. He knew what was coming.

The old smuggler stopped on the stone path a couple of meters from Zekk and hooked his thumbs into his belt. He wore what Zekk had, over the years, come to think of as his uniform: white tunic, open to just under the hollow of his throat; dark vest with plenty of pockets; soft trousers cut military-style and featuring the Corellian Bloodstripes running the length of each leg; and scuffed knee-high boots.

Han pinned him with steely eyes. "I talked to Fel."

Zekk didn't react.

"Kid never did seem afraid of me. Not like you." Han frowned. "I didn't like what he had to say."

"Jaina makes her own choices." It was the defense he had settled on with Jag, it was the defense he would use with Han. _'That's my story and I'm sticking to it.'_

Han Solo snorted derisively. "Women do. She gets that from her mother." The older man sighed, then unhooked his thumbs from his belt and moved to settle onto the bench. He gestured for Zekk to join him. Though his body language had shifted, the durasteel in his voice was still there. "But you don't have to indulge all of her choices."

Zekk cocked an eyebrow and sank to the bench. "You would tell the Princess no?"

Han glared and leveled a rough finger at Zekk's nose. "You tell her I said that, and you're dead twice."

Unable to help himself, Zekk laughed. "Yes, sir."

"That's 'yes, Han.' Don't call me sir. Makes me feel old." As if reminded of his age, Han winced, then looked past Zekk as he dropped his hand. His fingers dropped to the butt of his blaster, which he fingered thoughtfully as he went on, "I trust Jaina. She makes good choices. I don't like how she handled this one, but she knows she did it wrong." Han looked back at Zekk. "You're good for her, kid. Always have been."

"I want to be."

"I know. But I don't have to like it."

Zekk smiled tentatively. "Don't you think Leia's dad would have—"

"Don't push it, kid. I've got nothing on Vader, but you don't want to tempt me." But Han offered a smile back, then stood and jerked his head toward the direction from which he'd come. "Let's get back. The girls said there'd be an engagement party, and Tenel Ka promised me Corellian brandy. Really, really good Corellian brandy."

Zekk stood, remembering the whiskey he and Jaina had shared. He grinned.

Han rolled his eyes and turned around. "Kriff, kid, she's still my daughter."

Properly chastised, Zekk wiped the grin off his face and lowered his head. "Sorry." But he was glad Han couldn't read his thoughts.

Even after spending the morning watching Tenel Ka pick out a wedding gown and finalize the guest list, Jaina was still in a mild state of shock. The brandy was helping, but there was only so much the alcohol could do. In the Queen Mother's private residence within the palace, the small engagement party was in full swing. Jaina's parents, her uncle and aunt and small cousin, Lowbacca, Prince Isolder, and Tenel Ka's twin cousins Taryn and Trista had packed into the parlor, and everyone seemed to be in the highest spirits Jaina had seen since before Anakin died.

She was able to finally look at Tenel Ka and really take in what she was seeing. The young Queen Mother still wore Dathomiri braids in her red hair, though not as many, and the unbraided sections of her hair had been tamed into soft waves. Her dress was long and made of a fine, shimmery green silk, and though the cut was simple, it seemed befitting of a queen. Among friends and family, she was barefoot and without her prosthetic lower arm. Her gray eyes glittered, dancing with the knowledge of the secrets she held, and her cheeks seemed rosier than usual. That, Jaina suspected, was because Tenel Ka had dropped the Force illusion hiding her substantial pregnant belly.

"I don't want you to think I'm not happy for you," Jaina said suddenly. That was the _last_ thing she wanted.

Tenel Ka smoothed a hand over her belly. "It did not occur to me that you would not be happy for us." She looked quickly at Jacen, across the room being accosted by Prince Isolder and Han, then leaned in closer and lowered her voice. "I wished to tell you the moment we learned of the pregnancy, but your brother insisted we wait. He said that your reaction would be more fully appreciated in person."

Jaina smirked. "I suppose it was. He never was my favorite brother, you know. He was _mean_."

Tenel Ka accepted that joke with another small smile. Then her expression returned to seriousness, and she looked down, briefly, before again meeting Jaina's eyes. "I will not ask you to stand with me at the ceremony. I would not ask you to endure the Hapan court in that way. But Jaina, I do have a favor to ask."

When the announcement had been made that Taryn and Trista would attend Tenel Ka, Jaina had been relieved. She would have been willing to stand beside her friend on the most important day of her life, but she was even more willing to step aside and help in any other possible way. "Anything."

"Will you speak for me? Leia has agreed to stand in for my mother, but I wish to have a contemporary speak on my behalf at the reception." A sly glint came into her eyes when she added, "You do not desire my throne, so I know that your words will be straight from your true heart."

Touched by Tenel Ka's faith in her, Jaina almost felt tears threaten. Almost. She held them back and told herself that she was saving them for the wedding and for the arrival of her niece. "Of course." To lighten the mood, she quirked a smile. "Does this mean I can tell some of his awful jokes from the Academy?"

Tenel Ka's expression was very serious when she said, "No. He has threatened to do that himself."

The room was cavernous, well-appointed, and ridiculously opulent. It was probably the most expensively-furnished room in which Jaina had ever stayed, and she had consumed enough of the brandy to find that fact hilarious. Still, the bed was comfortable, and she took a great deal of pleasure in getting a running start and throwing herself down on it. She flung her arms wide and stared up at the sheer silk canopy and the tile mosaic ceiling beyond it, marveling openly at the recent set of events.

"Can you believe this? My brother is going to be a _prince_! A real one! Of Hapes!"

Zekk laughed as he stretched out beside her. "You didn't see this coming?"

"From a lparsec away." She rolled up onto her side to face Zekk and propped her head in her hand. "I just thought it would be a while," she admitted, then fell quiet for a few minutes, studying his face. Finally, she gave a wicked smile. "When Tenel Ka said that Jacen was already her husband..."

"They visited Dathomir several months ago," Zekk supplied. "Jacen ran, Tenel Ka caught him and bashed him over the head and dragged him to her cave."

Jaina grinned.

Laughing, he reached for her. "Don't get any ideas, Solo." He brushed her hair back from her face. "People do crazy things for love, but I'm not willing to go _that _crazy." He traced the angle of her jaw. The pads of his fingers were warm and calloused. His eyes were clearer and brighter than she'd seen them in a long time, and she was going to take the credit for that.

Warmed by his touch and nearness, feeling a little thrill work down her spine, Jaina pressed closer. "You probably wouldn't get very far, anyway."

Zekk brought her in for a kiss. "I wouldn't want to."

She sighed into his kiss. Then, smirking, she pushed herself up on her elbow and swung a leg over him so she was straddling his waist. She pinned his wrists over his head, and she didn't even have to use the Force—he surrendered willingly, looking up at her with heat and adoration in his eyes. She was getting used to that particular combination. She leaned in, laying her torso along his, and before she captured his mouth, she said, "You're just saying that because you know I wouldn't let you."


End file.
